Stone Gardens
by I Kill Trees
Summary: AU In a garden, locked away for so many years,there stands a statue of a very strange boy with dog ears and the saddest face one could ever imagine. Betrayal, love, guardian angels, and second chances... The secrets unravel as the sun goes down.
1. Wild Angels

**Author's Note:** New story. Fun times. If you happen to be reminded of a certain, Disney series… well… you wouldn't be the only one. ^_~ Sometimes the things you love just smoosh together so well.  


**The Low Down:** To get things straight, Kikyo is dead to begin with… wow… don't I feel Dickens-ish. You'll notice… Miroku steals the show for a while here. I just can't deny my love for the man.  


** Stone Gardens  
**

Chapter 1  


Wild Angels  


~*~  


She turned with the sound of fast footsteps coming towards them. The great doors flung open as a dark haired man ran forward, breathless and fearful.  


"What has happened?" Miroku asked urgently.  


Sango turned her gaze to the being sitting above her on the dais with questioning eyes. He held his head in small hands and his shoulders shook as though he were crying.   


"Why did you send for us, Shippo?" she asked gently.   


"Kikyo…" The he whispered, lost in some private memory  


Sango and Miroku cast sideways glances to each other. They feared the worst in the little ancient's trembling. Shippo sighed and looked up with glassy eyes at his two angels.   


"A crisis has developed." He said, and they stood at attention silently as he quickly wiped at his eyes and pulled himself away from the sad memories.   


"The demon Inuyasha and the priestess Kikyo, who had been brought together by love, have been tricked into fighting each other. Tragedy has befallen them." He said with dignity in his child voice.   


The two angels gasped and looked to each other in confusion. "What has happened?" Sango said. "And how? I watched them only yesterday."   


"I don't know how yet," Shippo said, "But only this morning did the priestess, weak almost to the point of death, call on what little remained of her spiritual powers to cast a spell upon an arrow, and fire it into the heart of Inuyasha. He was turned to stone in the garden and she stood over him, declaring he would never again hurt the world."   


"What would have made her attack?" Miroku said.   


"I do not know, Miroku." Shippo said, sinking more and more into his depression. "But it was enough to strike her down. After her condemnation of Inuyasha, she returned to her village and asked to rest. They found her dead later that afternoon with grievous injuries of which she told no one."   


He bowed his head into his hands once more. Sango, much to her comrade's surprise, stepped forward onto the dais to kneel before the high backed chair where Shippo sat. She placed her hands gently on top of his own and looked up into his eyes when he jumped in surprise.   


"Shippo," she said gently, "You grieve for the priestess, who we know you loved dearly, but perhaps you grief is too severe. Will her soul not join us soon in our world, and be at piece here, having forgotten the petty woes of mortal life?"   


"No Sango." He shook his head. "I'm afraid it is not so. Their souls will not rest. They cannot pass on."   


"Then what will happen to them?" Miroku chimed in from below.   


"That is why I need you two." Shippo said. "I need you to guide them so one day, they can have peace. She will be reborn, and Inuyasha will sleep as stone forever, unless…" he trailed off.   


Sango looked questioningly at him, but Miroku nodded and stepped forward to take her hand and lead her down the dais and towards the hall. "We understand, Sir." He said firmly. "We will guard the priestess and Inuyasha's statue until balance is restored."   


Shippo nodded to him and Miroku pulled Sango back out of the grand room. "What was that all about?" She huffed and jerked her wrist free as soon as the doors were closed behind him.   


"He is grieving." Miroku said simply. "And he is our superior. It is not right for us to witness his times of weakness. He may look it, but you know well that Shippo is no child. It is disrespectful to treat him thus."   


"It is not a matter of his age." Sango argued. "He grieves for the loss of one he cared for and so deserves our sympathy."   


"It is our duty to obey commands, not to give comfort." Miroku said calmly. "And our orders are to protect the priestess Kikyo and Inuyasha."   


Sango wondered, as she walked beside the stoic figure, if it was simply common for soul guardians lack any empathy. From what she gathered, she could only assume Miroku had not lived among mortals in his time as a guardian and the though made her somewhat sad. Did he not know love? sympathy? loss? joy? death? as she had in her life in the mortal world…   


How could he guard the souls of those if he could not understand and comfort?   


"And speaking of…" Miroku coughed into his hand with a gleam in his eye that put Sango on guard. "There really is no need for both of us to try to look after both at once. Were we to divide, you making sure no harm befalls the stone Inuyasha, and myself watching the priestess until the time when she is reborn and of decent age, we could more affectively bring the two together again."   


Sango stopped in her steps and observed him coldly. His words, as often they did, made perfect sense, and she might have had no objection to the wisdom behind them, were it not for that glint behind his eyes and the hint behind his voice to accompany it. Sango remembered the lady, as well as any one. She had been a beauty beyond the like of any village maid for miles around.   


Miroku's uneasy posture and shimmering layer of sweat was not a help to his case as he continued with somewhat less confidence, "It's only that you are less experienced, having only come into your place as a guardian. I thought only for your benefit and that of the lady if I took her soul into my care."   


"No." a chirping voice sounded from their feet with a puff of green smoke. Shippo stood looking up at them with arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression. "I forgot to tell you, I want Sango watching over her. The last thing I need is for you to come popping in on her while she's bathing with the pretense of protecting her from possessed soap."   


"That only happened once…" Miroku muttered, cursing his own forgetfulness at being caught again by his superior's ability to dissipate.   


"You stay with Inuyasha." Shippo pointed to the grumbling Miroku and with another blast of smoke, vanished from sight.   


"I hate it when he does that…" Miroku muttered, earning a smile from his satisfied partner.   


"Come on." She grinned and tugged on his sleeve. "Duty calls, remember?"   


~*~   


"Kagome! Your friend is on the phone." Ms. Higurashi's voice called from down the hall. Kagome snapped the text book she was reading shut and hopped off her bed.   


"Coming!" She called as she left the room. Sango sat in the corner and watched as the door closed behind the young girl. She couldn't hold back the smile; the girl was sweet, lively, honest, and level-headed.   


She had been there for every moment of her young life, from her first breath of life, and through every scrapped knee and lost tooth. For sixteen years, she had come to love the girl like the family she had lost centuries ago.   


Sango heard a sigh next to her and rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you be guarding your statue?" she smirked. "What happened to duty?"   


"Guess how many bugs crawled over Inuyasha today." Miroku sighed.   


"I don't think I want to know." Sango laughed. "But what if he gets chipped while you're away whining. We must be ever diligent in our protection."   


"Why can't we switch for just a decade or so?" He asked desperately. "I'm so bored Sango! At least your protectorate moves every once in a …Whoa!"   


Kagome chose that moment to re-enter the room. She took the book up again and sat down at her desk, unaware that this put her directly in front of the two seated guardians, and her chest directly level with Miroku's nose.   


"When did those… I mean she get so big?" Miroku said.   


"She's sixteen, Miroku." Sango looked at him in disgust.   


"That's all!" Miroku looked at her in awe. "I forgot how quickly mortals age. You know… she might just be ready to…"   


"To what?!" Sango snapped. "She's still just a child."   


"She's definitely not a child." Miroku said with a silly smile on his face. Sango turned and to her horror, saw that Kagome, having changed her mind on studying more that night, was changing for bed.   


"Miroku!" she yelled and placed herself between him and Kagome. "Get out of here, pervert!"   


"Sango, how can you suggest such a thing?" He genuinely looked hurt. "I am a holy being! A guardian! I am not subject to baser… desires… of self gratification… like… mort…" His speech slurred as Kagome's shirt came off and Sango, in desperation forcibly pushed him through the bedroom window.   


"Go back to your lawn gnome!" she yelled as he hit ground.   


Kagome pulled her pajama top over her head and looked up confused at hearing, what she thought, was a thump below her window. But she saw nothing when she looked out, so she shrugged it off and climbed into bed.   


Sango watched as the girl got comfortable and drifted off to sleep. She was still fuming over Miroku's leering. Weren't guardian angels supposed to be pious? But as much as she hated to agree with him on the subject at all, she couldn't deny the fact that Kagome was no longer the child she'd watched with almost motherly tenderness.   


But now that it was so close, the five-hundred year wait did not seem long enough.   


~*~   


Kagome was setting the table for dinner as her mother came through the kitchen door, obviously exhausted, and carrying three bags of groceries. She quickly took the heavy bags from her mother and put the contents away. Ms. Higurashi fell into a chair at the kitchen table and smelled the air appreciatively.   


"You made dinner?" She said gently.   


"Just a quick stir fry." Kagome said from inside a pantry. "I thought you'd be too tired after a double shift."   


"Thank you." She said with utmost sincerity. "I really am. The days just seem to get longer."   


"Mama, what if I tried an after-school job to help make ends meet?" Kagome said shyly as she placed the dinner on the table. Her mother worked too hard to support the family of four and she wanted so badly to help make things better.   


Grandpa was a temple priest without a parish, but in his mind, the old man was warding off demons left and right and was always making purchases they couldn't really afford on some new charm or ward he found. He always promised he'd get another position in a temple and solve all their problems, but there wasn't that much demand for senile old men performing exorcisms.   


"There's no need for that yet, Kagome." Her mother smiled gently. "I want you to just be a happy normal teenager for as long as possible and just focus on school and your friends. You don't need to worry about all that yet."   


It was the usual motherly argument that Kagome knew she wouldn't win again, so she put off the suggestion for another time.   


"Kagome!" Sota's young voice called from the living room. "How much longer until… Yes! Mom's home! We can eat now." He ran into the kitchen and launched himself into his seat.   


"Hey Gramps!" he yelled. "It's dinner time."   


Kagome almost snorted at her brother's enthusiasm. It was family tradition that they always waited until everyone made it to the table to eat, and for the young boy, it was a daily torture.   


"I'm coming! I'm coming!" the old man walked in grumbling and playing with his latest, all purpose/ completely worthless demon warding charms.   


Kagome shook her head at the men of her family and went to serve the food, however much to the dismay of the hungry males, a loud knock at the front door interrupted her before one tiny morsel made it to their plates.   


"Not now!" Sota pouted, still holding his dish up.   


"I'll get it." Kagome sighed and placed the bowl back on the table, teasing the men's salivary glands.   


She ran quickly to the front door and cracked it open. On the front step, giving her a friendly smile, was a pretty young woman in professional dress and a high black pony tail. "Can I help you?" Kagome said quietly.   


"Hi there." The lady smiled. "My name is Sango. May I speak with Mr. Higurashi?"   


"The only Mr. Higurashi here is my grandfather." Kagome said, opening the door wider and allowing her to step inside.   


"I believe that is who I'm looking for." Sango smiled. "You see, I came to ask if he would be interested in taking the position as priest of the Sunset Shrine."   


"You want to offer Grandpa a job?!" Kagome gawked at her.   


Her mother's voice called from the kitchen, "Kagome, who is it?"   


"A lady to talk to Grandpa…" She said walking back into the room with Sango in tow. "About a job as a shrine priest."   


"Yes, that's right." Sango smiled and bowed politely to the family. "I represent a small shrine outside of the city in need of a talented priest. We've heard wonderful things about your reputation, Mr. Higurashi, and we would be very pleased if you would share your expertise with our establishment."   


Some disbelieving scoffs and under-breath remarks coming from the grandchildren put Sango a little on edge. She had to get them to accept this offer, some how or another and she couldn't let them have any plausible reason at all to decline. She'd have to pull out all the stops right away to make sure everything went to plan.   


"The shrine is prepared to offer you this salary in return for your expertise." Sango presented a folded slip of paper and handed it to the eldest Higurashi. The old man discretely opened the fold and his eyebrows, not so discretely, shot up into his receding hairline.   


"Sota!" he yelled, "Go pack up my charms!" He bolted from the kitchen and up the stairs, thanking every known deity for rewarding his patience. Kagome followed him with her eyes before darting glances back to Sango, who had an amused and satisfied smile, then her mother, who curiously picked up the slip of paper her grandfather had dropped.   


As she read the figure, Ms. Higurashi's brows flared high before she gave a happy chuckle. "Looks like you'll get to stop worrying about getting an after-school job, Kagome." She said with her eyes twinkling with relief or joy. Kagome wasn't sure which it was; maybe a mixture of both.   


"Aren't we ever going to eat?" Sota pouted and slumped down in his chair.   


~*~   


Kagome gazed at her surroundings in wonder; she had never been anywhere so beautiful in her life. With the sun gently setting behind old world architecture and full, billowing trees swaying gracefully in the breeze, it was like stepping straight into a faerie tale, just in want of the happily ever after.   


She stood at the top of the mountain of stares absorbing her surroundings while her grandfather and brother did tugged at luggage below her. She was so absorbed, just watching multi-colored leaves dance across the stony path, she didn't notice a man in dark robes approach her from the side.   


"Good evening." A cool, melodious voice called her from her reverie and made her jump.   


"Hello." Kagome said quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."   


"No." He smiled down at her with sparkling violet eyes and she could hardly help noticing that he was more than just moderately handsome. "My apologies for startling you. Call me Miroku."   


He bowed to her slightly and Kagome felt her cheeks heat. "I hope you are comfortable here and will call on me if you have need of anything." He said. "I am training with this shrine to be a priest."   


His smile and speech were completely polite and kind, but she still got a funny feeling from the way he looked at her; almost as if there was something he expected from her in some way.   


"Would you like a tour of the grounds?" he smiled sweetly and her cheeks darkened a bit more. "To become more acquainted with your new home?"   


She squirmed slightly under his gaze, imagining a slight glint behind his eyes that made her uncomfortable, but she passed it off as ridiculous. He was a training holy man. He wouldn't possibly lust after a girl he'd only just seen.   


"Yes a tour!" Grandpa appeared suddenly at the top of the stairs. "Wonderful way for me to inspect the grounds. So you're my apprentice eh? Well, it'll be hard work, son, but have no worries, I'll teach you everything I know. Now lets get off!"   


The old man grabbed the sleeves to Miroku's robes and dragged him off down the shrine paths, babbling every bit of his knowledge of ancient legends and antique artifacts, while Sota bounded after them, bombarding Miroku with a million questions at once. She couldn't help laughing quietly at the monk's distress with her relatives. She and her mother gave each other knowing glances and followed from a safe distance, observing the beauty of their new home and tuning out the ramblings of the eldest Higurashi.   


They walked all through the grounds, past old fountains and goldfish ponds, through the building and temple, and explored the courtyards, all the while Sota running around excitedly and Grandpa pestering Miroku who was valiantly keeping his patience through the entire ordeal. They walked past one door, almost crumbling it looked so ancient, and Kagome pulled away from the rest of the group to look at it. The wood was so rotten, she was afraid to touch it, or else she'd bring the whole thing down, but she was curious to what was hidden behind it.   


Vines grew over the top of the wall, suggesting no one had gone into this section of the shrine for quite some time. Kagome took a quick breath and steeled her nerve. Even if she got in trouble, she could always say she didn't know she wasn't supposed to go inside.   


The door swung open much more easily than she had expected and she fell forward as she lost its support, landing smack on her chest on the stone pavement. With a loud 'Omph!' she looked up and found she was inside a garden, overgrown and wild, but still completely beautiful.   


"Wow! Cool!" Sota jumped over her prone figure and rushed in front of her, exploring every corner of the hidden Eden. Her mother and Grandfather came in after him, also looking around with fascination. They didn't look back at Miroku, leaning casually against the wall and pealing an ancient scroll from the rotting door frame.   


The wood crumbled and fell to the ground, no longer having a five-hundred year old sealing spell as it's structural support and Miroku pocketed the paper with a secret smile, then moved to help Kagome to her feet. When he'd made that spell, so many years ago, he had made it so only one soul would ever be able to break the seal.   


"Do you like it?" he whispered quietly. "It's a very old garden that hasn't been kept for years."   


"It could do with some cleaning up." Grandpa piped up, tugging at a hanging vine on one of the walls. "But we can always get it right again."   


"Actually, I kind of like it like this." Kagome said a little louder than she had intended, embarrassingly bringing all attention to herself. "I like how wild it is. I don't think I'd like to change it much at all." She blushed.   


Then, as the winds blew weeping vines from the trees, something hidden in the back caught her attention and she stepped quickly towards it.   


She pushed back vines and found, covered in moss, a statue of a boy with an arrow in his chest and triangular ears on top of his head. But most striking was the boy's face.   


It was the saddest expression she had ever seen in her life.   


"Miroku," she called back to the front. "What is this?" She turned back to the statue and felt like her heart would break just looking into it's stone face.   


"Ahh, yes." Miroku looked over her shoulder with a cryptic smile. "This is something very special. There is an ancient legend that goes along with this statue."   


Now Kagome had heard these words more times that she'd like to remember, but coming from Miroku, they didn't get the customary roll of the eyes that always came with her Grandfather's "ancient legends."   


"They say that five-hundred years in the past, there was a priestess who fell in love with a demon. But they were tricked into hating and fighting each other and she killed him with her arrow and later died herself. This statue is a reminder of their tragic fates." He looked down to her, surprised the amount of sympathy she showed to the statue.   


"He looks so sad." She murmured.   


"Yes, he does." Miroku nodded. "Some say he is the stone body of the demon of legend, and will sleep for all time from his lost love's spell."   


Kagome shook herself back into reality when she heard the enthusiastic 'Ooos' and 'Ahhs' from her brother and grandfather, peeking in at the stone figure at her side.   


_'His stone body?'_ she thought, looking into his sad grey eyes.   


Suddenly Miroku laughed at her shoulder and walked back up the path. "No more than some silly folk tale." He grinned back at her and waved the family on. "Come along now, and I'll show you the house."   


Her family milled back out through the door they entered and Kagome followed a few steps before stopping and looking over her shoulder once again.   


Of course it was just a legend, a folk tale, and there was no way it could possibly ever be true, but she had been so fascinated by the story of the sad boy who had been killed by the woman he loved. His eyes... they just seemed so heartbroken and hopeless in a way no artist should be able to capture.   


She pulled back the vines once more and slipped in close to the statue to get one more look into his face. It was just too perfect. How was any sculptor that skilled to carve him with such intricacy. The feather fibers at the end of the arrow were so fine and delicate, Kagome was amazed by their sheer perfection. With gentle fingers, she reached forward and brushed the arrow's end with her fingertips.   


The whole shaft of the arrow, from stone feathers right up to the boys chest, crumbled to dust and fell to the ground.   


She gave a frantic yelp of surprise and panic and dropped to the pavement to see if there were any pieces. But it was completely un-reparable. It was dust! Not even big enough specks to glue together.   


"Great!" she whispered in a panic. "Just great! I'm here for five seconds and I break a five-hundred year old statue!"   


"Kagome!" she heard her family call out and she looked around frantically to see if any one had seen. She gave a slight sigh to discover she was quite alone, but not enough to soothe her pounding heart. If Miroku found out, he'd make sure her grandfather was fired before sunset and they'd all be shipped back home!   


She couldn't let that happen to her family!   


She gave one last frantic look to the crumbled arrow, hoping it would have magically reassembled itself so she could reattach it to the statue, but of course no such luck.   


"Coming!" she called and jumped back to her feet, pushing back through the vines and closing them as to best hide the broken statue. There was only one thing she could do now if they ever found out: Deny everything!   


She rushed back through the gate to find her family and prayed no one would notice. She'd just pretend nothing had ever happened and if anyone did ask her any questions, she had one philosophy.   


One philosophy never failed: When in doubt, play dumb.   


  


**Next Chapter:** Stone Faced  



	2. Stone Faced

**Author's Note:** Whoa! Seriously awesome response to the first chapter. I'm mucho thank you for all that wonderful input. (Munches on a pixistick ^_~) I sometimes feel I don't give enough gratitude for the reviews that bring a smile to my lips, but trust me...got nothin' but love in my heart.  


**The Low Down:** Yep! Sango and Miroku are guardians. Yep! Shippo is technically their "boss" but not as grand and all powerful as you would like to believe, or they like to accept. The spell? That's gonna have some funniness just in itself with just what it all entails and just how they're supposed to break it.   


** Stone Gardens  
**

Chapter 2   


Stone Faced   


***  


Kagome felt like she was going to throw up. Through dinner, she had sat silently and moved her food around on the plate without eating. Apparently she was pale, because her mother, on more than one occasion, reached across and felt her face for warmth muttering about wearing her out in the move and letting her catch a cold.   


The entire time, she was fighting off the urge to vomit, and not just from the food. Although, she did make a mental note that from this point on, cooking should not be on the list of duties for a priest in training.   


Guilt, the kind that feels like someone took her heart and threw it in a trash compactor, would not let her stop thinking about just how much trouble she could have unwittingly caused if anyone found out. She even considered taking the dust of the crumbled piece and mixing it with super glue into a make-shift mortar and reshaping the arrow by hand.   


A good plan, except that all those clay figurines she had made in the first grade turned out looking more like dilapidated pigs than cats.   


If the statue stayed in the shadows and no one ever had an interest in it again, it would work. And at least she'd be doing something to fix her mistake. The sitting around, doing nothing, and running away from her screw up only set the trash compactor on a higher setting.   


She gave a sigh and glanced out her window. The sun was beginning to set, her family was busy unpacking, and she guessed Miroku was cleaning after dinner. And there she was doing nothing... while the coast was clear...that wouldn't do.   


With an annoying itch at the conscience, a person will not rest until they find a way to relieve the unpleasant feeling. It's often when the situation seems hopeless, that they are most resistant to the thought that they simply don't have any control. This was one of those times.   


Kagome hopped off the bed and quietly slipped from the room, knowing she was being foolish and the stone pieces wouldn't just magically reassemble themselves, but logic never was very convincing. She tip-toed down the hall and stairs, making her way to the garden, and along the way had to pass the open kitchen, where she distinctly heard the voices of Miroku and Miss Sango in conversation. She glanced in only long enough to see if they were not looking where she would pass, before edging past the door.   


"But Miroku," Sango leaned over the table. "Now that we've brought her here, how do we go about trying to break the spell?"   


Miroku fidgeted with a salt shaker and avoided her eyes. For five-hundred years, all they had focused on was how they would bring Kagome near Inuyasha. It was a very natural question, what they would do next and he knew it. He just wasn't very happy about it's being asked so quickly.   


"Well... you see... the thing is..." he said quietly.   


"You don't know." Sango said incredulously.   


"It will all work out in the end." he smiled boyishly. "After all, it was Kagome's soul that cast the spell, so I'm sure that embedded in her somewhere is the answer."   


She looked doubtful.   


"So, you just don't know?" She said again. "Miroku, what else did you have to do for five-hundred years? It's not like you were to busy to research a spell!"   


He gave her an offended look. Ok.... so he hadn't been as diligent in spell sorting as he should have been, but in his defense, he was stuck watching the giant rock and he couldn't help it if the shrine maidens and his invisible form proved much more entertaining. Just because her protectorate was mobile, suddenly Sango knew everything.   


"It's kind of hard to research a spell when the only person who knew what went into it died an hour after it was cast!" He said and Sango was taken aback at the harshness.   


He quickly soothed the tension with a smile and patted his hand on top of hers.   


"Look," he said, "We'll figure it out. Don't worry. All spells have an answer." He leaned back casually. "And once she breaks it, all we have to do is sit around and wait for nature to take its course. They're bound to fall in love with each other and we can get back to our lives, outside mortal romances."   


Sango still looked doubtful.   


"How can we even be sure they will fall in love?" she asked.   


"Why shouldn't they?" Miroku said. "Kikyo fell in love with him and it's the same soul in Kagome. It worked then. It worked all the other times."   


"It's just I remember Kikyo," Sango said, "The way she was and acted in her duties to her village. And I know Kagome. I've been with her every moment of her life from when her soul first took place inside her mother's womb. Had I not known the history, I would never expect the two were connected."   


Miroku was looking at her with such intense concentration, she squashed the need to blush. "They may have shared a soul, Miroku, but they do not have the same spirit."   


Miroku looked, for a moment, that these words altered his plans greatly. But all too soon, he shook his head with a smile and waved off her comments. "You make a lot of sense, Sango, but I don't agree. Environment has great influence on a mortal's personality and the same soul will alter drastically, but it is not enough to affect our purposes."   


Sango looked down at the counter top. Everything she knew about Kagome was screaming at her to tell Miroku he was wrong, but how could she know for sure? After all, he'd been a guardian long before she had first met with Shippo and was offered the chance to save the souls of the living. Surely, he'd have enough experience to know what they were dealing with...   


Wait a second...   


"Miroku?" She asked suddenly, "What did you mean, _All the other times?_"   


He stilled and his eyes shifted nervously. However, before he had a chance to think up a descent answer, his salvation came ringing through the air, in the form a of shrill, feminine scream.   


Kagome...   


~*~   


Kagome slipped outside and quietly slid the side door closed. She could still see well enough in the dimming light, so she raced down the path to the garden. As she stepped inside, she held her breath, thinking it even prettier than it had been in the day.   


"How could someone forget about this place for so long?" she mumbled, thinking that it should constantly be filled with annoying shrine visitors and camera toting tourists.   


She walked to the weeping tree in the back, where she knew she'd find the statue. She pushed through the branches and let them swing back behind her. In the dying light, they made a shimmering green curtain around her.   


Once again, she stood before the statue, and once again, she saw that there was absolutely no way she could ever replace that arrow. It made her want to cry to think she had broken something so masterful and emotional, and couldn't help wondering if she was more upset about the trouble she could have caused for her family, or because she had broken a piece of art she liked so much.   


She let her fingers play with the spot where the arrow was and to her great surprise, she found that the stone was not chipped or scratchy, like she would expect from having a piece broken from it. She smiled and decided she liked it better this way. The missing arrow made it seem less sad, if only his face was not so painful.   


A cold wind blew through the garden and Kagome shivered. She saw the branch curtain was a much darker green and she knew it was getting late. She shook her head and told herself to stop being silly and just go back inside.   


She stepped out from under the tree just in time to catch the last sight of the sun before it slipped below the horizon. Behind her, very quiet, but enough to make her stop in her tracks, Kagome heard a crack.   


It was followed by another.   


Then another.   


She turned around, confused, and to her complete horror, she saw that the entire surface of statue broken and marred by cracks, ruining its perfect smoothness.   


She gasped broken segments became smaller and smaller, some chipping away. She stepped back, completely afraid and dumbfounded. Had she just seen a flash of red? More over, was the statue moving?!   


The eyes, those sad, heart-wrenching eyes, glowed beneath the stone, while chips flew from his head and ears, shining a pure silver.   


His hands flexed, ridding chips from smooth and bronzed skin. She saw his claws, shining and dangerous, and much more intimidating in flesh.   


A loud growl filled the air and the statue shook violently, throwing stone everywhere and Kagome ducked to avoid being pelted. She looked up and found him regarding her, the glow in his eyes fading to reveal deep, pure golden, and beautiful eyes. His chest rose up and down quickly trying to catch his breath.   


He was alive! The statue was alive! Real, living, breathing, and watching her!   


"You..." he snarled and turned on her with a face that froze her insides. "You did this that to me!"   


And he was mad.   


He lunged at her, those claws shining bitterly in the dim light, and she only had time to roll to the side and give off a startled scream.   


He lunged again, catching and ripping her sleeve as she frantically tried to distance herself. He wouldn't let her get away. His thoughts bent to those last moments: pain, betrayal, and death. He snarled and grabbed at her wrist, flinging her against a wall. He pinned her arms, claws biting into her flesh, and snarled down at her.   


"How does it feel, Kikyo?" he sneered at her. "Caught by surprise and helpless?"   


"What?" Kagome peeked out from under her bangs. "No... I'm not..."   


"Inuyasha!" a flash of gold swung in front of her face and hit the attacking demon between the eyes, effectively knocking him away from her. Kagome dropped to the ground at the loss of his holding her upright and tried to pull her senses together. Something stepped in front of her... dark robes... sandals... holding a staff...   


The attack didn't send the demon far, just knocked him back a few feet and disoriented him enough for Miroku to step in front of Kagome. In a second, Inuyasha was re-focused and madder than ever.   


He jumped high, aiming his claws down to the monk who raised his staff over his head to block. But the demon's agility surprised him, and with Miroku's staff as support, Inuyasha pushed himself back into the air and flipped over Miroku's head. Heading straight for his real target with a vengeful snarl.   


Kagome felt her heart stop looking up into his eyes. She couldn't move; couldn't make her legs work. He was going to kill her. He really was! And she just couldn't move...   


The staff swung around and caught him in the side, sending him off course and crashing into a wall. Miroku had swung the staff as soon as he realized Inuyasha's intention and had managed the defense only just in time.   


Well... he'd wanted Inuyasha to move...   


Sango came running through the garden door, and he glanced over his shoulder at her worried face. "Sango, get her out of here." he said calmly, getting a quick nod as she moved quickly to Kagome's side. "I'll handle Inuyasha..." he muttered, watching Sango heave the bewildered girl to her feet and supported her with her shoulder.   


Inuyasha rose to his feet again in time to see his prey being taken away and gave a frustrated snarl before launching in chase. Miroku raised an eyebrow, annoyed, and wondered if this demon had some learning disability.   


"Down boy." Miroku said and smacked him down in the dirt. "How many more times do you want to do this? Because I can go all night."   


"Get out of the way!" the demon snarled with fangs glowing eerily in the moon light.   


Miroku was far from impressed. "I hoped you would have figured out by now that isn't going to happen." He smiled confidently and said, "I bet you haven't even figured out yet, it's the wrong girl."   


"What?" Inuyasha growled.   


"She isn't Kikyo." Miroku leaned against his staff.   


"Of course that's Ki...." he stopped, catching a scent in the air. "It's not..." he muttered with confusion.   


"Good..." Miroku smiled. "I knew you had to have a brain in there somewhere." He watched the demon boy, who was looking around frantically, just now noticing the state this place was in.   


"What happened here?" he gasped.   


Miroku felt the annoying twinge of sympathy tugging at his heart and tried to squash the feeling. But it was hard to do when the boy looked so absolutely confused and bordering terrified, with his eyes wide and ears flat against his head. "Time." he said simply. "You've been asleep for five-hundred years."   


"Five-hun..." Inuyasha said amazed, "Then the others... the real Kikyo...."   


"All dead." Miroku nodded.   


For an instant, the boy's face was a tapestry of emotion: rage, fear, confusion, sadness. But it passed immediately as he bolted for the nearest wall.   


Miroku sighed... what was it with mortals and running away?   


"I wouldn't do that." He said loudly. "At least not if you want to stay flesh and blood."   


Inuyasha stopped in his tracks and turned slowly to observe the monk. "What is that supposed to mean?"   


"Think about it, Inuyasha." Miroku walked over to him. "You awoke here when the sun set. You will return to stone sleep when it rises again. And if you want to wake again, you will need to be in this garden."   


"How the fuck do you know that?!" he growled angrily.   


"I've had five-hundred years with nothing better to do than watch you grow moss." Miroku said with a superior smile "I did some reading on the subject."   


Was it true? Well, it certainly could have been. And he seemed to believe it, so Miroku decided it would be the truth for now.   


"Just who the hell are you?" Inuyasha snarled defeatedly.   


"Why, I'm your guardian angel, Inuyasha." Miroku grinned.   


Miroku smiled and turned back down the stone path. He ignored the sputtered threats and dirty names called to his back. Finally! After half a millennium, he could have some fun.   


~*~   


Kagome was vaguely aware of the stones in the path moving below her and the walls shooting on either side as she entered the house. She glanced up and saw Sango's worried face and her own arm slung across the older woman's shoulders.   


Sango set her back on her feet to lock the door and Kagome found she had the peace of mind to stand once again. She looked at Sango, still in a daze, but not ready to question what happened yet.   


Kagome shook her head and stumbled from the room. A few moments later, a terrified scream filled the house and Sango ran quickly up the stairs to find her.   


And find her, she did. Kagome had walked into the room where her mother had been unpacking, to find the woman unconscious and on the floor. She was on her knees cradling the woman's head and crying and Sango felt her heart wrench.   


"Kagome, please..." she muttered, "They are only asleep, I promise."   


Kagome looked up as though she had been shot and glared at Sango with burning rage. "You did this?" she snarled. "What did you do to them!"   


"We did not want them to worry when they heard you scream." Sango offered lamely. "We didn't want them to discover the demon yet."   


"We?" Kagome repeated painfully. "So Miroku's in on this too? You brought us here just to hurt my family?! God, I'm such an idiot. I actually liked the two of you!"   


Kagome trembled with suppressed rage, and on top of everything, Sango saw the girl was going into hysterics. She dropped to her knees in front of Kagome and quickly pulled her into her arms.   


"Please understand." Sango pleaded desperately to the struggling girl. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I never would."   


Kagome looked into her eyes briefly, and stilled when she saw tears there. Sango gave her a sad smile, and Kagome felt a pressure in the base of her neck. "I'm sorry." she heard as blackness over took her.   


Red flashed behind her eyelids and Kagome rolled over into her pillow to try and block out the morning. After such a terrible dream... she deserved to sleep in a little late.   


Dream...   


She sat up like as shot and looked frantically around. She was in her bedroom at the shrine. Everything seemed normal.   


But she was dressed in her clothes from last night.   


Sango...   


She must have carried her to bed after she knocked her out. Just like she had done to the rest of her family! How very kind of her...   


Kagome ran down stairs frantically. She had to see. She had to know that they were all right. She was running so fast, she didn't have time to stop when her brother crossed her path and looked up at her like a deer caught in headlights. She plowed into him and tumbled to the floor.   


"Kagome, be careful!" her mother called from the kitchen, serving breakfast up at the table. Sitting there, were Sango, pointedly not looking at her, and Miroku, looking bored as her grandfather rattled on and on about counter curses and sealing spells.   


They were fine.   


Except maybe Sota who had gotten the wind knocked out of him.   


They were all fine.   


Maybe it had all been a dream... but then why would Sango not look at her?   


She pushed herself to her feet and ran outside, leaving her family calling to her in confusion. She ran all the way to the garden, throwing herself in the broken door and rushing to the tree. She yanked back the hanging branches...  


And sighed in relief.   


He was there. Stone.   


Inuyasha was back in place under the willow and stone as he should be. She smiled and gingerly reached up to touch the triangular ear on top of his head, half expecting it to twitch at the contact. She gave a little laugh when it did not and shook her head at her silliness.   


It had all been a dream. It had to be. Statues don't just come... to... life...   


Kagome yanked her hand away like she was burned and stepped back. He was in the same place she had found him before, and the same stone perfection he had been since she first saw him, but his face... She looked at his face and gasped, bringing her little hands over her open mouth.   


It was true. It was all true. It really happened.   


The face that had broken her heart the day before, now chilled her soul as his stone eyes starred into her with passionate and burning hatred.   


**Next Chapter: **Sunrise Sunset  



	3. Sunrise Sunset

**Author's Note:** On the matter of Sango's character, I appreciate the feedback, but I have to disagree to some extent. I went back and analyzed how I've portrayed her, and although she is a bit submissive, that was done intentionally to play into part of the plot. Sango may have seemed out of character because she is going along with Miroku and Shippo pretty much without argument, but there is a reason.   


When compared to Miroku, Sango has not been a guardian very long, and he makes it a point to rub this in when arguing a point. And it is natural, when you view someone as an authority, to tend to submit to their arguments. So it makes sense for Sango, being placed in a position where Miroku is an authority, to not be very aggressive against him. That is until she realizes he's full of crap.   


Also, I thought it fit because she is rather respectful of his wisdom in the series. I'm just playing off that for a while.   


**The Low Down: ** Yeah… so I'm a smart kid. It didn't even occur to me that it was Halloween when I posted the last chapter and that the scene in the garden played perfectly with the seasonal fright fest.   


It was not intentional, but damned if it didn't work out well. ^_^   


** Stone Gardens   
**

Chapter 3   


Sunrise Sunset   


Sango wandered around the shrine grounds looking after each member of the Higurashi family. She greeted the mother, cleaning out extra rooms for storage or guest housing, and smiled little Sota being lectured by the grandfather while sorting through old, and if her knowledge served her correctly, completely useless demon wards.   


She sighed and smiled thinking of the family she had guarded for sixteen years, loving each in their own way and still saddened, knowing they never knew her and to them, she was not part of that family.   


However, there was one Higurashi Sango had not summoned the nerve to go see, at least not visibly.   


Kagome had been sitting in the garden for quite some time now, and Sango could easily understand. The girl's life had been completely turned upside down in a matter of hours, and she had become the object of blame.   


But she didn't mind that guilt. After all, she _had_ helped turn Kagome's life upside down and had been working to do so for five centuries. Which brought a new and disturbing thought to mind:   


Did she even have the right to do that?   


It was her mission, yes. It was her duty as a guardian angel and her reason for watching Kagome, but to try to force her upon a stranger in a strange home with the hopes of making them fall in love, based on the actions of past lives… Could she excuse that blatant manipulation of an innocent girl's free will?   


She sighed and rubbed her aching head. Too much thinking over something she couldn't find an answer to yet.   


"Sango!" Miroku's voice called behind her and she turned to see him approaching quickly with a strange determination. He did not stop when he reached her, but grabbed an arm and almost dragged her off her feet as he tugged her along, down the hall. "Shippo needs to speak with us. It's urgent."   


She noticed a little red and white mushroom sticking out of the folds in Miroku's robes, looking at her… and if it wasn't strange enough seeing a mushroom with eyes, the fungus darted back into the folds when her eyes caught it. Confused by this newest oddity, Sango was caught off guard when Miroku stopped short and dragged her through a door.   


It was dark.   


"Miroku…" she said flatly.   


"Yes?" he replied, unnerving close and yet completely invisible.   


"We're in a closet." Sango observed.   


"Why yes we are…" There was an edge of seduction in his voice and Sango could just picture the smirk gracing his lips. "Ouch!"   


A slap sounded in the dark with Miroku's exclamation.   


"I was only trying to turn on a light." His voiced defended.   


"Touch that again, and I'll turn out your lights." She growled.   


"That's enough you two!" Shippo's high piping one, called on in the dark. They heard two claps, and the place lit up, revealing a much larger room than just a closet.   


In the middle of the expansive room, in a high, wing-backed chair, and glaring down at them, was Shippo. His little tail twitched back and forth in obvious irritation.   


"What the heck are you guys doing?!" he yelled.   


Sango and Miroku shot each other questioning looks before Miroku plastered on a grave face and stepped forward.   


"What do you mean, Shippo?" he smiled innocently. "We've brought Kagome and Inuyasha together, the spell has been broken, and I have good hopes that they will soon fall in love."   


He ignored the cough he got from Sango behind him and the incredulous look from Shippo.   


"Do you think I'm stupid or something?" Shippo glared down at him. "How is the spell broken?"   


"Inuyasha has woken." Miroku replied, the vision of serenity and wisdom.   


"He turned back to stone in the morning!" the little ancient cried and grabbed his heads in his hands.   


"A minor inconvenience." Miroku shrugged.   


Sango shook her head watching them. Miroku was casually ignoring Shippo's anxiety, while Shippo was doing just about everything to keep from being ignored. He was actually standing on the tips of his toes on the chair while he yelled. This almost put him at eye level with Miroku and if she weren't so frustrated herself, she would have laughed at the pair.   


"And how can you say they're anywhere near falling in love?" Shippo was almost spitting in aggravation. "He tried to kill her!"   


"He was confused." Miroku said calmly, eyes closed to the seething ancient. "She will forgive that easily enough and that kind of passion can be easily turned to romance."   


"Miroku!" Shippo yelled and launched himself at his deviant angel's chest and fisted his little hands in the robes to hold himself there. "How many times do we have to do this?! Why can't you get it right?! Don't screw it up this time!"   


"Shippo," Sango stepped forward. "What do you mean _this_ time?"   


The reaction was instantaneous. Shippo and Miroku stopped and stared at her with slighting paling faces, with Shippo still hanging off the front of Miroku's robes and Miroku prying him off by his tail.   


They stuttered quickly, mumbling nonsense, as Shippo jumped back in his chair and did his best to look regal and Miroku stepped back. Sango's brow twitched with aggravation. They were keeping something from her.   


"Back to the point, Miroku," Shippo said when he smoothed his frustration away. "You better just watch out and make sure nothing goes wrong with Inuyasha and Kagome. They have been upsetting the balance for two long and we can't afford any complications now."   


"Of course." Miroku nodded, pointedly ignoring the cold look Sango was sending him.   


Shippo nodded to them both and grandly clapped his hands twice. Just as it appeared, the light vanished leaving the two angels alone in the dark again, shuffling for a door.   


"Well that was pleasant…" Miroku groaned as he emerged.   


Sango gave one quick look over her shoulder, marveling at the now ordinary closet, before clenching her jaw and staring at Miroku's back. She was going to find out what was going on.   


"We've still got a long while before the sun sets." He said with boredom. "What do you say we… whoa!"   


Sango caught hold of his robes at the shoulders and using her weight to balance, turned and swung him against the wall with a sound thud. The look of surprise on his face was quickly descending to a smile she didn't want to deal with and she pressed him harder and fisted the material.   


"I'm going to ask you again, Miroku." She growled before he could say whatever inappropriate thing was fueling that smile. "What happened _'all the other times'_ that can't happen _'this time?'_ What don't you want to tell me?"   


His smile faded and he sighed. "You won't let this go will you?" He asked. She fisted his robes tighter, showing him how little his question required an answer. "Ok… ok…" he sighed. "Put me down."   


She hesitantly released his robes and stepped back while he rubbed his shoulders. With a quick nod, he motioned for her to follow and began leading her in the direction of the garden.   


"This is not the first time the two souls have been reincarnated." He said quietly. "Every time, I have seen them come together. And yet, every time, something has gone wrong."   


"How wrong?" Sango asked.   


"Horribly wrong." He said simply. "Kikyo was not even the worst of it. At least he survived that one."   


They stood in the garden now and Sango looked to see Kagome sitting on the stone bench, lost deep in thought and looking troubled. She didn't like the sound of Miroku's explanation.   


How do you protect someone from fate?   


~*~   


Kagome felt her stomach gurgle and tried to shut out the sound with embarrassed hands. Although, a quick look around ensured her there was no one to be embarrassed for. Still, her stomach was not her greatest friend and was protesting not being fed yet that day.   


What a morning! Most of it spent with her best attempts to avoid Sango and Miroku, all the while keeping her family in sight at all times. But, at the moment, not_ too _close, because ten minutes with her grandfather had been enough to convince her to keep her distance.   


The old man was still rattling on about this sealing spell he'd been studying for days.   


That's how she ended up here, sitting in the garden. Everything was fine. Everything was normal. Just as if last night was nothing more than a bad dream, but she knew better. The evidence was staring right back at her.   


Her stomach rumbled loudly again and she sighed. She leaned back and her hands brushed something course, much different than the cool smoothness of the stone bench. She glanced down and to her great surprise, found a lunch tray sitting at her side. Kagome looked around confused, but there was no one anywhere near her.   


However, the sight of food, her stomach insisted violently she not ask questions and just be grateful.   


"Thanks…" she whispered quietly.   


Sango watched with a gentle, yet sad smile as Kagome began eating. She only stood a few feet from the girl, and yet for all her courage, couldn't bring up the nerve to face her directly. She couldn't stand the thought of Kagome hating her.   


So close and yet so far away? That seemed a fitting sentiment to Sango.   


But for now, she was content just to watch over Kagome as she had throughout the younger girl's life. She loved the girl as though she was her family, and the thought of losing her… it was too much. She already lost one family, a team of demon hunters, in a battle long ago. Spider demons were always unpredictable…   


Sango had not been able to rest in the other world. She had died with a soul too lonely and too sad for that. Instead, she asked that she be allowed to guard the souls of the living to keep others from facing what she had.   


Miroku warned her not to get attached. Mortals will grow old and die, leaving her behind to rest, and she would be lonely again, but those words never got through to her. She wanted to have someone to love and care for as she had her family, whether they knew it or not.   


"You're welcome." Sango said with a voice Kagome could not hear.   


~*~   


The sun was large and red and hanging just over the trees in the kitchen window. Kagome watched the picturesque scene while putting away the food left over from dinner. Usually, leftovers were not a problem, but considering the ungodly amount of food her mother prepared, now able to actually cook for her family and not work double and triple shifts, the refrigerator would soon be stocked.   


In addition, Sango had not come down to dinner, leaving her share untouched. Kagome sighed, knowing it was because of her that Sango was staying away, but the anger she held was ebbing against her will. She just seemed so sad every time Kagome had seen her that it was difficult to keep her heart stone.   


Speaking of…   


Kagome looked out the window again to the darkening sky. Would Inuyasha's statue awaken again? A shiver ran through her spine at the thought. She didn't know anything about spells, so as far as she knew, it would never happen again.   


But she couldn't help wondering, it had been five hundred years since Inuyasha had eaten. Granted he was stone, but still, wouldn't he have to eat?   


He had attacked her, after all, so why should it matter to her if the jerk starved! But Kagome's heart just wouldn't let her be without sympathy. He thought she was Kikyo, the woman who turned him to stone. Though she couldn't excuse his violence towards her, she could at least understand where his anger came from.   


And just being angry didn't merit anyone having to starve to death on top of being a statue for half the day.   


"I can't believe I'm doing this." Kagome sighed.   


She glanced around before quickly throwing together a dinner tray. As quietly as she could manage, she snuck through the house to the side door and slipped outside. She'd have to hurry to make it back inside before the sun went down. She didn't want any nasty surprises tonight.   


The garden was unnervingly quiet as she walked hurriedly down the path. A breath of wind stirred the willow branches in front of her and she stopped sharp with a gasp.   


But the sun had not gone down yet.   


Kagome chastised herself for her jumpiness and hurried closer to the willow. She set the tray on the little stone bench and backed slowly away, always keeping her eyes on the place she knew Inuyasha was hidden.   


With one last look to the sky, she turned and ran quickly from the garden, back into the house, before the sun could set. Kagome locked the door behind her.   


Sitting on the little stone bench and watching the young girl run back to the safety of her home, Miroku looked from the tray to the house with a victorious little smile on his face. Oh yes, this was working out perfectly.   


He watched the sun dip into the earth and disappear and soon the sound of cracking stone came from behind the curtain of branches. The unmistakable roar of life filled the air and Miroku's smile broadened.   


_'Good.'_ He thought. _'It does happen every night.'_   


Inuyasha chose that moment to emerge from the branches, wearing the expected scowl. Miroku watched him with the confidence of an invisible form as Inuyasha sniffed the air tentatively. The hanyou's brows knitted in confusion.   


Inuyasha sniffed the air again. He could smell the girl from last night had been there, and recently, but he also smelled something completely unexpected and also completely tantalizing. He looking to the stone bench to discover the source of the smell, and to his shock, discovered the little dinner tray.   


Inuyasha's stomach growled loudly and, involuntarily, he took a quick and famished step towards the food. But after one step, the ears on top of his head swiveled back and forth quickly and he stopped in his tracks. It was faint, quiet…   


The ears pressed firmly against his head and he flexed his claws. "I know you're there." He snarled. "Show yourself!"   


Miroku jumped a little from his position on the bench and looked at the demon curiously. His yellow eyes were darting back and forth wildly, so obviously he was still not visible to the youth. _'He couldn't possibly…'_ Miroku was thinking when his thoughts were interrupted.   


"Show yourself now, or I'll just start randomly ripping through the air with my claws!" Inuyasha growled dangerously.   


Without flash, or puff of smoke, or bang of any sort, a monk with a wonder filled face appeared on the bench where a moment ago, there had been no monk. "How did you…" Miroku said disbelievingly, but then shook his head, "Never mind. It doesn't matter."   


He made a quick motion with his chin to the tray at his side and looked up at Inuyasha with smiling eyes. "You've been left a present, my friend." He said with cheer.   


The demon stared down at the food like a mirage in the desert. "Ahh," Miroku drawled on in the background, "I thought as much the moment Kagome discovered your stone form. Lady Kagome fell in love with you instantly and her fragile heart was broken with the confusion last night. She is trying to win your heart."   


Inuyasha poked the tray. Definitely solid.   


"After all, what way to a man's heart is more proven?" Miroku said with a cunning gleam in his dark eyes. "And with good cause, I am convinced, if she would devote the time and effort to preparing this meal as a peace offering for you. What a well mannered, kind, demure young maiden she is!"   


Inuyasha was far from charmed by this show of generosity.   


Without a word and an expression Miroku had difficulty interpreting other than resolute, Inuyasha grasped the tray.   


He was tense… very. He gripped the wood hard, and muffled cracking sounds came from beneath his hands. A fierce look flashed across his eyes and he smelled the air quickly.   


He was growling as he bounded over the garden walls in the direction of Kagome's bedroom.   


Miroku stood and watched him leave, giving a sad sigh when he passed over the wall and leaning heavily on his staff. "Somehow I don't think that went how I wanted…" he muttered full of self pity.   


~*~   


Inuyasha jumped high into the boughs of a tree near where the scent was strongest. He balanced the tray in his hands and saw light streaming out through a window which had foolishly been left open. Silly girl… one never knows just what kind of things roam around at night. He agilely leapt to the sill and slipped inside without any hesitation.   


Kagome, who had been reading over a class schedule at her desk, spun around with the soft thump behind her. She yelled out in shock and fear to see him standing in her room and unconsciously backed away. She soon felt the wall pressing against her back and realized too late she was cornered and had no where to run if he attacked her again.   


But he wasn't attacking… not yet at least. He sneered at her with obvious disgust and dropped the tray to the floor. She flinched with the plates' clattering and slowly dared to meet his eyes.   


"Get this straight right now," he sneered when she looked at his face, "I don't need your fucking charity and I want nothing to do with you. If you know what's good for you, you'll just leave me alone and stay out of my garden."   


He flashed his claws at her and smiled cruelly. "Remember that." He growled and broke a fallen dish with his bare foot. Satisfied when he shattered it to pieces, he jumped back out the window and left her breathlessly looking from the broken plates to her window, to the floor again. She repeated this for several moments.   


And then, suddenly, Kagome found that she wasn't afraid.   


Just very, very angry.   


Without a thought to sanity or personal well being, Kagome flung herself to her window and threw her head outside. It only fueled her frustration when she was no longer able to see him any where. That didn't matter too much, however.   


"Fine!" she screamed loud enough to shake the leaves. "Go ahead and starve to death, you ungrateful jerk. See if I care!"   


She pushed herself back inside, fuming, just long enough to grab half a bowl that was once filled with rice, and lobbed it out the window as hard as she could in the direction of the garden with a shriek.   


Inuyasha's ears perked up as he heard the bowl crash into the wall behind him and spray porcelain shards in every direction. _'She was actually pretty close.'_ He thought with a self confident smirk at his method of handling the girl.   


He caught the sound of quick foot falls coming toward him and gave a dramatic sigh. "I know you're there, so just give up the sneaking aro…"   


He forgot what else he planned on saying when someone punched him in the back of the head and sent him sprawling to the dirt. Turning to his back quickly, he found an angry Sango seething down at him.   


"That's for being an idiot and an ass!" She yelled before turning and stalking back to the house.   


That was it!? The crazy woman walks up and completely blind-sides him and that's all he got? He rubbed his head and watched her walk away and heard a quiet chuckle behind him.   


"Hey Angel?" he snapped over his shoulder. "Aren't you supposed to _guard_?"   


Miroku nodded gravely. "Oh yes." He said with eyes closed and a serene expression. "It's very high on my list of priorities. Right under self-preservation, actually."   


Inuyasha grumbled, quite colorfully, in aggravation. "What did I ever do to deserve this kind of torment?" he muttered.   


"In which lifetime?" Miroku asked cheerfully and quickly dodged an air-born stone flying at his head.   


  
**Next Chapter:** Whispers to the Heart 


	4. Whispers to the Heart

**Author's Note:** I was thinking… before I started writing this, one day, I was wondering about soul mates. Just what goes in when we get assigned a soul mate? Is it like when a teacher assigns you to a partner? What if you were just randomly assigned a soul mate… and you couldn't stand the dolt?  


**The Low Down:** This may get a little odd… but just keep the chapter title in mind. I hope it's not too confusing, but just try it out. It'll all fit.   


Sorry for delay in chapter… Bonfire…STAT exam (or more like studying with my cute STAT boy) …football against pansy rival dorm wanting only two hand touch… Bah! We made them cry. ^__^  


Sango and Kagome will have their reconciliation next chapter… promise!   


** Stone Gardens  
**

Chapter 4  


Whispers to the Heart  


***  


"Kagome?" Ms. Higurashi placed a breakfast plate in front of her daughter. "Can you tell me why I seem to be missing a few dishes?"  


Kagome stopped mid bite in her scrambled eggs.  


"And why on earth I found pieces of one all over the walk outside the garden." She continued with the note of motherly warning.  


Think fast! Kagome frantically sought an explanation, but nothing sounded defendable in her head. "I…" she stuttered and earned an even more skeptical look from her mother. "There was this howling cat outside my window… I got a little too frustrated I guess." She said sheepishly.   


She expected the eyebrow twitch. She was waiting for the red face and dagger eyes. She was waiting for a lecture to ring in her ears. She wasn't expecting a soft laugh and a shake of the head.  


Kagome sighed internally when it didn't look like she was about to be murdered on the spot. Maybe she'd just gotten too accustomed to homicidal hanyous and forgot about how someone normal would react.  


"I did hear the most horrible yowling last night." Ms. Higurashi laughed quietly. "I can't really blame you for wanting to stop it. Just next time, don't throw my plates."  


"Yes mama." Kagome said quickly. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking I guess."  


"Just go clean up the mess before you go to school." Her mother said and went back to breakfast. "The last thing we need is for Miroku to see and us get in trouble for something so small."  


Kagome couldn't stop the smirk as she thought that was unlikely.  


But she finished her food and grabbed a small trash sack and headed outside towards the garden. She saw the pieces flung all around the ground and smiled at herself. She'd cleared the wall very well and had she been able to see well, she might have just hit the creep.   


Speaking of… Kagome walked up to the weeping tree to make sure e was once again stone and not likely to change that state any time soon. He was, but she frowned at how she found him. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was pouting like a spanked child.  


She snorted. _ 'What possible right does he have to pout after how he behaved last night?' _she thought spitefully.  


He didn't deserve the pity! The first time he even so much as looked at her, he tried to kill her. She could understand that he had mistaken her for the woman who had in killed him and been understandably angry. But to continue his aggression when she had done nothing to him in the least, he could pout for all eternity and she wouldn't fell the slightest bit of sympathy.  


He just might pout for all eternity for all she knew. How long Inuyasha would continue to come to life at night, Kagome had no idea. She didn't know if the day would come when the spell just stopped working. She also didn't know what would happen if something happened to him. What if something broke the statue, even a little chip?  


Strong and fragile, stone and breakable, Inuyasha was at the mercy of the world. How easy would it be for something to hit the stone image and break a little triangular ear off his head or snap a claw? He might never wake again. He'd only be some distant nightmare.  


_'I wouldn't have to deal with him anymo...' _Kagome's thought stopped cold and she gasped.  


_'What was that?!' _She thought with a shudder.   


How could such a terrible, vile thought come to her head? It wasn't her.  


Alright, she was angry with Inuyasha, but there was no way that she just didn't want him to ever wake up again! Such an idea was cruel and unforgivable. Why would she think such things? It wasn't her!  


She wasn't such a horrible person that she wanted him to be stone forever. It would be no less that murder.   


Kagome sunk to her knees on the stone and braced herself on trembling hands. She could feel her heart beating against her throat and swallowed nervously. She was afraid; possibly more than when she'd first seen Inuyasha, and it was a bitter fear. She was afraid of herself, of her heart. Afraid that inside her soul was something dark and cruel.  


It just wasn't her.   


"Kagome?" a gentle voice called from behind and when she turned, Kagome found her brother standing in the door frame holding her bag.   


Sota watched his sister for a moment before he called out to her. He watched her sink down to her knees and became worried when he saw her start to shake. "Are you all right?" he asked and walked quickly to her.   


Kagome pulled on a quick smile and nodded to him. She quickly swept what was left of the broken pieces in the little trash bag and grabbed her backpack from her little brother.   


"Let's go squirt." She smiled down at him as he followed by her side.   


Sango watched them leave, looking at Kagome with the same concern as the little boy beside her. She didn't like that reaction one bit and decided that she needed to keep an even closer eye on Kagome. But also, and more difficult, she had to earn Kagome's trust again.   


She needed to know what had happened in Kagome's mind to make her so afraid. Not being able to read minds, she would need Kagome to talk to her again to tell her just what was going on.   


~*~   


Kagome relished in the normality of the day. Classes with other normal students in a normal school where she fit in so perfectly that she was hardly distinguishable at all from al the other girls in little green uniforms; it was exactly what she wanted and by the time lunch rolled around, she could barely keep the silly grin to a peaceful smile.   


The students were friendly, and she'd already taken up with three happy and talkative girls who'd lost no time in inviting her to spend lunch with them. They chatted amicably about boys, asking her of her old life, her family, and any old boyfriends, which Kagome admitted embarrassedly there had not been any. They were immensely interested in the handsome shrine keeper, in training to be a priest, Kagome told them about and were already planning when they would be able to join her at her home to study or just have girl time.   


There had even been a boy. A polite and friendly young man who had come to introduce himself to her while she ate with her new friends. He was kind and attractive and said his name was Hojo and by the excited gleam in her new friends' eyes, he was considered highly desirable in this school.   


Kagome gladly forgot the events of the morning while she talked with Hojo, just grateful for not having to feel like a detestable smudge of a person.   


The day passed quickly and before she knew it, classes were over and she was walking back home to the shrine. But at least a little bit of normal was walking back with her and Hojo told her about the local hangouts and what people generally did for fun in the area. Kagome smiled in simple bliss of having a conversation with someone who was treating her kindly and not secretly plotting or threatening her life.   


Simple, normal, human interaction: how she had missed this!   


All too soon, she found herself at the high steps leading to the shrine, and she found herself saying 'goodbye' to Hojo.   


"I'll see you tomorrow." He called out and waved as he walked away.   


"Yeah." Kagome said under her breath and waved in return. "I guess you will."   


She gave a sigh and looked up at the stairs. Normal was gone and she had nothing else to do but trudge up to the insanity that had become her life. She walked slowly up the stairs, savoring the peace just a little longer, and she was soon almost at the top.   


It was then, with the last set of steps in front of her and not yet able to see above the top, that she heard Miroku's distinct voice just above the ledge. She dropped and pressed herself against the stairs, keeping as quiet as possible, and listened.   


"You're being paranoid." She heard him say.   


"Miroku," Sango's voice said, "I know what I saw and something this definitely wrong with Kagome."   


Kagome smothered a gasp. They were arguing about her?   


"If it was because of what Inuyasha did to her," Sango said, "I swear I'll make that demon suffer so long he'll never want to wake up again."   


"Don't worry so much." Miroku said. "We'd be able to see if there was something wrong and nothing has been out of the ordinary. Just be patient."   


"I've been with Kagome too long not to recognize when something is seriously affecting her, and I won't just stand by and let something happen to her." Sango was almost growling now. "I won't let what you say happened in the past happen to Kagome."   


Now what did that mean? Kagome was straining to hear more of their argument and remain hidden. She held her breath listening for any clues to what Sango could have meant. Just a little more information and maybe she could figure out what was going on.   


"Kagome!" Sota came running up the stairs and Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin. She was on her feet in a flash as her brother ran up to her and she clapped a hand over his mouth before he could ask what she was doing. Giving him a stern look, she grabbed his hand and lead him quickly up the rest of the stairs.   


Just as she thought, as soon as their heads peeked out from the rim, she found Miroku and Sango looking at them surprised. Miroku pulled on a smile quickly.   


"Ah, Kagome! Sota!" he chimed. "You're home all ready. How did you enjoy your first day in your new schools?" He sounded normal enough, but Kagome knew not to buy it. Sango had that familiar sad expression again and wasn't looking her in the eyes.   


Sota was still oblivious however and rushed straight up to Miroku and started telling him everything he could remember about the school day. He grabbed Miroku's robe and practically dragged him back towards the house, asking him to help with his homework. In just a few short days, Sota had come to admire Miroku greatly. The kid really did need a male role model that wasn't constantly trying to exorcise the coffee pot.   


However, this left Kagome alone with Sango, and they stood regarding one another.   


What had she just heard? Sango had been watching over her for a long time? That can't be possible when she only met the woman a week before. But from just the little bit of argument she just heard, the woman seemed to care about her.   


Kagome hesitantly met Sango's eyes and was surprised to see she had not stopped studying her with the same sadness since she appeared at the top of the stairs.   


"I…" Kagome muttered. "I have to go help Momma with dinner." She said in a rush and ran off towards the house.   


~*~   


The sun sank lazily in the evening sky. Red light bathed the garden and flickered through the vines to the sleeping figure hidden from the world. When the last ray of light faded from his body, the stone began to crack, ever so faintly at first, and increasingly violent with each passing moment.   


His eyes glowed beneath the stone, an eerie gold, and with a fierce snarl, Inuyasha came to life and flung stone pieces from his hair and clothes.   


The growl from his throat died when he was free from his rock shell, but another growl continued and he tried to squash it with clawed hands.   


Inuyasha was hungrier than he had ever been in his life and his stomach was protesting violently. The aching inside his belly was so consuming he actually felt the need to vomit. There was no way he could go another night without food.   


He glanced to the wall facing the humans' house and snorted indignantly. That foolish girl had taken pity on his miserable form the night before and offered him her family's food. There was nothing else for his pride to do but throw it back in her cocky little face.   


He didn't need the woman's charity. He could find what he needed himself.   


His decision made, Inuyasha took off toward the opposite wall. He was up and out with a single leap and raced down a steep incline to streets of stone.   


Large, fast-moving contraptions with glowing lights blared at him with a loud and hideous noise that hurt his ears and he rushed across the marvelously paved road avoiding them. Huge buildings, made from more stone and glass instead of wood loomed over him from every side, and more people than he had ever seen in his life pushed against him on the street.   


The people… the one thing that time didn't change. They pointed at him, gaped at his ears, whispered about him in voices they thought he could not hear. He hated it. As quickly as he could plow through, he rushed from the street-side crowd to a building and leapt high up its side.   


A cry sounded below him as his claws sunk into the wall and caught. Inuyasha paid no attention to the excitement on the ground as he swiftly scaled the building. Let them scream; he didn't care. He was still just a monster to them.   


He reached the top and pulled himself over the edge. Finally he could look out over the area to find his bearings and perhaps his old hunting grounds, but as he gazed over horizon, Inuyasha discovered just how much the world could change in five-hundred years, and he became afraid.   


No. No, this couldn't be. He wasn't high enough. He just couldn't see far enough.   


He leapt from building to building to find a higher place. He had to find some place where he could see beyond the world of lights. He finally came to a building higher than any other around and pulled himself up to the highest point, hanging from a tall metal pole pointing up at the top.   


But it was all the same.   


Every direction he looked, there was nothing but lights and stone. The building, the streets, everything in this world was made of stone, and it was filled with unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells.   


Inuyasha realized then, he was a stranger in a strange world.   


He sat down at the building's ledge, just staring out into the noisy world. When had everything changed? Where had his forest gone where he'd hunted to survive? Where were the rice fields and streams and village huts? Everything he'd once known was gone. Everyone he'd once known was dead.   


He was alone.   


_'What do I do now?'_ he thought, _'Where can I go?'_ but then snorted at himself. What else would he do? Obviously he couldn't _go_ anywhere thanks to the stone sleep. He was confined to the garden, a prisoner of his own body.   


But if he could break the spell… no… not even then. He didn't know anything about magic. He wouldn't know where to start. But even if he could break the spell, what could he do then. He didn't know anything about this world. How would he survive?   


Inuyasha was helpless, and he hated every bit of it.   


_'Not only helpless…'_ the voice in his mind spoke, _'but at risk. Any bumbling fool could come along and chip my body while I sleep and that would be all it took to kill me. Just one swift hit… and besides, that girl does hold a grudge against me.'_   


He snarled at the thought. Why shouldn't the girl try to kill him? Kikyo had done the same thing.   


_'No way.' _He thought with a snort. _'Kikyo caught me off guard. She made me foolish and weak and unprepared for the final attack. I won't make that mistake again.'_   


_'But I mustn't take the chance.'_ An insistent and oddly demanding part of his mind urged. _'Take care of the girl now before she becomes a threat! Before she has a chance to kill me! Then I won't have to worry. Take care of her first.'_ Inuyasha shook his head and rubbed at his temple that had developed a dull ache. The girl was too weak and pathetic to be any danger. There wasn't any need to bother about her.   


_'Kikyo was a warrior: stern and brutal in battle.' _He thought, _'This girl cried and cringed at a little snarl. She's no Kikyo.'_   


~*~   


It was still well before sunrise when Miroku was surprised to see Inuyasha pull himself back over the garden wall and plop down on the grass. Another hour and he would have followed after his charge, but it seemed like the cursed demon needed some privacy.   


To lose everything he'd ever known and suddenly be trapped with no choices. Yeah, Miroku could sympathize with that.   


Inuyasha was starving and was to the point where he wasn't even hiding it anymore, and that actually had Miroku worried. He had not even been noticed from his perch on the wall.   


He watched his protectorate sit tiredly on a bench and look up at the stars, straight through him in fact. 'Why is Inuyasha starving so badly?' Miroku shook his head at his own question. Naturally he had a higher metabolism than a human and his body demanded greater stores of energy, but also, there was no telling just how much of his strength was used every time his body converted its cells to stone and back.   


But if Inuyasha would not accept food from Kagome, then Miroku betted the stubborn hanyou wouldn't be any more likely to accept it from him. So how could he change the situation before Inuyasha's own pride killed him?   


He rolled his eyes and gave an internal sigh.   


In the quiet calm of her bedroom, Kagome woke up in a cold sweat and looked around frantically. Her breathing was fast and choppy and her heart was racing. It had been the most terrible nightmare she could remember.   


It was night, and Inuyasha was still stone. She had been smiling, but not the smile she knew. It had been cruel, spiteful, and calculating.   


She brushed the hair away from her face and discovered her cheeks were wet and grainy. When had she started crying? Oh yes… she remembered. She'd held the monk's staff, although she couldn't remember where she'd taken it, and was holding it high and ready.   


She knew the intent of that weapon as she stood over Inuyasha's helpless stone body, and she had been smiling.   


That was when she woke up.   


She flew out of bed and rushed from her room. She felt like she wanted to vomit. She felt like she wanted to curl up in a ball and hide in a dark corner. But most of all, right then, she needed to see Inuyasha, in the flesh, and know that it hadn't been real.   


She leapt down the stairs and ran out of the house into the cool night air, heading to the garden.   


When she reached the door, however, Kagome couldn't find the nerve to take a step further. Right in front of her, sitting near the tree and still oblivious to her presence, Inuyasha was looking up to the sky with the same sad face she'd felt so much emotion for when she first saw his statue.   


Her heart clenched in her chest.   


He shone in the moonlight: a brilliant flash of silver in a gray and sleepy world. Dangerous and deadly, and yet, beautiful and sad; Kagome wondered what could ever have sparked that horrible dream. Nothing in her then could so much as fathom harming him.   


But something was wrong. His shoulders were bowed and his ears drooped on top of his head. Every bit of his posture said he was weak and exhausted. _'What's wrong with him?'_ she thought with concern and watched as he absently rubbed his hand over his stomach.   


"Idiot!" she hissed in a whisper soft voice and backed away from the door.   


He had never eaten anything and now he was too weak to do anything. If he kept this up, he would kill himself, and after such a fearsome dream, that was the last think Kagome was going to allow.   


"Stupid idiot!" she grumbled and turned the stove on under a kettle of water and pulled a cup of instant noodles from one of the cupboards. It would have to do for now; it was too late and she was too frustrated to make anything more complicated.   


She poured the hot water in the cup and waited a moment, grabbing some bottles of water and chopsticks.   


"Stubborn, arrogant, moronic, idiot!" she muttered and turned back through the house heading to the garden once again. This time, she didn't stop at the door, fearing she would lose all her nerve if she allowed herself to think this through.   


Soft footfalls caught Inuyasha's attention and he turned to see the last person he'd expected to encounter. The girl was walking up to him without fear or hesitation, but with a determined glint in her eye that made him slightly nervous. Hadn't he scared her away enough? What did she think she was doing?   


"You really are dumb." She said and plopped the cup down beside him on the bench. He lay his ears flat and was about to snap at her when she stuck the chopsticks right in his hands, completely ignoring his claws that threatened to tear her. "Don't even pretend you aren't starving. You should have heard me coming way before now."   


Damn! He hadn't even been paying attention to anything he'd been so weak. She was right, he should have heard her coming, and noticed her smell long before that. What else could he have missed that would come sneaking up on him in his weakened state.   


The faintest trace of a chuckle flicked in his ear and he turned a frozen glare off to the wall.   


"I'm over here!" Kagome grabbed his hair and tugged his face back to her. "Look." She said sternly. "I don't care what you think of me, but I'm not going to hurt you."   


"Like you could." He found his voice again.   


"I know you don't have any reason to trust me," She ignored him and continued, "but for some ungodly reason I want to help you."   


Kagome glanced up to surprised golden eyes and smiled softly.   


"And I'm not going to let you starve." She pointed to the cup of noodles. "It's not much, but I'll make you something larger tomorrow and leave it for you. Now goodnight! I have school in the morning."   


Stunned beyond words, Inuyasha stared blankly as she walked right back out the way she came. What was wrong with this girl?! One minute she's scared out of her mind, next she comes charging at him with demands. How could her eyes shake with fear and then shine with stern brutality?   


The scent coming from the cup spoke directly to his stomach, who then insisted on shutting his brain up immediately.   


Oh well. He could always think about the woman's insanity later. It wasn't like he was going anywhere.   


With cautious hesitance, he sniffed the broth and noodles and took a testing bite, trying to find any poisons or sedatives. Nothing! Just chicken-flavored broth, vegetables, and noodles.   


And it wasn't half bad either!   


**Next Chapter:** Wicked Voice   



	5. Wicked Voice

**Author's Note:** Alright… so chapters 3 and 4 had a lot of basic set up and developmental stuff going on. I was being typical Kim, psyc minor weirdo and attempting to set up my character dynamic. But it was commented that the plot was moving too slow… but jeez… it was only 4 chapters in. I'm aiming this one at around or more than 20. I'm not rushing into the plot and giving too much away, but it is building…   


Bonfire is over for this year… and was absolutely amazing… but that can't be my excuse anymore for not writing. I'll think up something else though.   


**The Low Down:** My thoughts on this were Inuyasha waking up and finding that 500 years have passed in what is to him an instant. It's gonna mess with someone's head a bit. Plus… the romance between him and Kagome isn't going to just be "oops! They're in love!" Just bear in mind how time has moved for him.   


Oh major props to squeakyinuears for giving me faith that the subtle hints do work. You completely got **everything **110% on the nose right on! (is that all the clichés? Think so.)   


** Stone Gardens   
**

Chapter 5   


Wicked Voice   


***   


Smug was not even the word.   


Miroku grinned down into his coffee cup with an arm that was partially strained from patting himself on the back. The judges for the smartest being in the universe should be calling any time…   


Oh yes. He was good.   


Kagome had managed to get Inuyasha, in all his infinite irritability, to eat without getting herself mangled in the process. Inuyasha got his mind off his own problems if only for a moment just trying to figure out the strange girl's behavior.   


Silly hanyou. It had taken Miroku two centuries of pondering back in the dark ages to determine that there was no understanding the insanity that is women. He'd accidentally voiced the thought to some Italian painter. He'd thought it was a great idea and decided to paint a portrait of a woman with a smile no man would understand.   


So now he'd inspired two masterpieces.   


Oh yes. Things were finally all going the way he wanted them to. Miroku gave a contented smile and took a sip of his coffee.   


A small, red and white spotted, mushroom bust out of his cup and started crying. Miroku spat the liquid across the room and unsuccessfully tried to hold in the gag. Wiping his mouth, he looked down at he wailing fungus with a glare.   


The desire to crush the thing welled up in his blood, but Miroku just sighed and poured his unfinished drink down the sink. He decided he'd stick to tea from that day on.   


Another urgent call for their presence…another life shattering matter that Shippo felt could not wait.   


"Hell..." Miroku whispered and walked out of the kitchen to find Sango.   


But he ran into the old man first. Grandpa Higurashi, wandering around offering fake charm souvenirs to every shrine visitor that passed his way, was generally an amusement to the disguised angel, but not when he was in a hurry.   


"Miroku!" Grandpa called and grabbed his 'apprentice' by the arm. "I have to tell you about this sealing spell I've come across. It's unlike anything I've ever seen! It allows the castor to partially remove the spell but leave the greatest part of the curse untouched, leaving the demon helpless and at the castor's mercy."   


"That's amazing, sir." Miroku said without feeling and truthfully, without listening. He was much more concerned with how he could he get away from this geezer without having to answer any uncomfortable questions.   


"It can even be removed in intervals. Free for a certain time. Sealed for another!" Grandpa oozed with excitement and did not notice that his pupil was quickly trying to escape. "And the cursed one must remain near the source of the spell if he wants even the limited freedom. A perfect entrapment and so very old!"   


A tale-tale wail started up from his robes again and Miroku knew Shippo was getting impatient.   


"Sir, I think I saw a new batch of visitors walking in through the front stairs a moment ago." Miroku said quickly. "Perhaps we should greet them."   


"Oh yes!" Grandpa nodded dutifully, "We must welcome them. Come Miroku!" he rushed down the hall with charms falling from his pockets. Miroku watched him go with a chuckle. He did enjoy the old priest's company, at least when he wasn't trying to 'teach' him concepts he'd known before even the Higurashi's great ancestors were born.   


But another superior was waiting and he needed to find Sango.   


~*~   


Kagome was still asleep, but tossing and turning in great agitation. The girl whimpered in dreams and was clearly afraid of whatever she was seeing. She was even crying in her sleep, and that did not happen unless it was the worst of nightmares that would send her rushing to her mother's room the instant she woke. Sango was more than worried.   


That was how Miroku found them; with Kagome in sleeping tears and Sango helpless with concern.   


"We have to go." He said gently and she shook her head no. "Shippo has news for us."   


"All right." She said. She didn't want to leave Kagome to whatever had been plaguing her mind as of late, but there was nothing she could do without out knowing what was going on. Kagome wasn't likely to tell her, right now, but maybe Shippo would have some clue as to what was going on.   


"It will be all right." Miroku said, reading her look, "It's only a bad dream."   


With that, he pulled her quickly through the twisting halls to the same closet where they had spoken with Shippo before. They closed the door behind them and waited for the grand appearance and the large room that had appeared the last time.   


But nothing appeared and they stood impatiently in the dark.   


"What's going on?" Sango whispered.   


"Shhh!" a soft hissing voice sounded at their knees and they jumped in the dark. "Just be quiet and follow me."   


A tiny hand took hold of Sango's while a larger one grabbed elsewhere. After a well placed kick backwards and another shushing command from Shippo, they started a long walk down what appeared to be a narrow hall. It was too dark to make anything out and Sango relied completely on Shippo's guidance, but the ground was rough and uneven like a tunnel through rock.   


They came to a stop after a long walk and Shippo ventured a little light and produced a small blue flame in a lantern. The two confused angel's blinked in the dim light and found themselves in a tiny little room with one door coming from the narrow passage way.   


"What is this place?" Miroku asked his normal voice and Shippo waved at him furiously to keep it down. "Why did you take us here?" Miroku whispered.   


"We can't be too careful now." Shippo whispered. "We can't be sure who is listening."   


Miroku and Sango cast confused looks at each other and looked back at their superior.   


Shippo crossed his arms over his chest and looked very serious. "I've had a scout watching this area lately for any threats."   


Miroku looked offended. "Shippo, there is no need. We are perfectly able to handle this situation."   


"You mean_ you_ are perfectly able, right?" Shippo glared at him. "You've sure done a good job the last few times!"   


Miroku clenched his fists and was about to argue when Sango stopped him with an arm on his shoulder and a firm look. She nodded to Shippo to continue and ignored her partner's pout.   


"Anyway," Shippo sighed, "the scout picked up a trace of a dark presence that he couldn't understand. He wasn't sure what it was, but it might be something targeting Inuyasha and Kagome all over again."   


"What can we do?" Sango asked.   


"And how do we stop it if we don't have any clue what it is?" Miroku added.   


"I don't know." Shippo said sadly. "Just watch them and be on the look out for anything unusual. Don't let them out of your sight and don't take anything for granted. Any little thing may be the answer."   


With that, Shippo disappeared in a puff of green smoke and left Miroku and Sango in the little hidden room. Miroku sighed and took the little lantern that was their only light and headed back towards the tunnel.   


"What a way to get around…" he muttered.   


They slowly made their way back up the tunnel, which was indeed rocky and uneven.   


"I guess we must be under the shrine…" Miroku mused looking at their surroundings. "Strange I didn't know this existed…"   


"Miroku?" Sango said quietly. "What were the other times Shippo was talking about?" And Miroku gave a sigh.   


"I guarded the two souls before they were incarnated as Kikyo and Inuyasha." He said quietly. "Like I said before, it didn't work out very well. The last time, I think it was in Egypt, Kagome's soul was the queen who, under the right convincing, fell in love with a man from Rome… Inuyasha."   


Sango stopped in the hall and Miroku turned back confused. "They were Anthony and Cleopatra?!" Sango said disbelievingly.   


Miroku gave a shrug and a smile. "It's hard to remember the names after a while, but that sounds familiar."   


Sango shook her head and tried hard to fight the smile. It faded quickly, however, when she noticed a little black spider on her shoulder. She took in a sharp breath, more of surprise than fear, but still batted the thing away with a disgusted whap and sent it flying.   


"Ugh!" she said in disgust as she hit it off. It fell to the ground and scurried away through a crack in the passage wall.   


"Not like spiders?" Miroku smiled.   


"Not at all." Sango said very stiffly.   


They walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached the hall closet again. Sango was deep in thought. What might be listening to their conversation with Shippo? What was this dark presence and how could it hurt Inuyasha and Kagome? And more importantly, what was she supposed to look for? Anything unusual… they were two guardian angels trying to coax a teenage girl and a hanyou that turned stone during the day into love! What was usual?   


Kagome had seemed like she was acting strange, but Miroku was right. A nightmare wasn't anything to be concerned about. But why was Kagome having nightmares now? And what had been that little episode in the garden before?   


Sango shook her head. Could she just be worrying over nothing? She wasn't sure any more.   


~*~   


Kagome stood near the weeping tree that hid the sleeping Inuyasha with a large tray of food. She'd offered to make dinner that night, saying she wanted to give her mother a break, but really so that he large amount of extra food would not be noticed or missed at the table.   


She sat the tray beside her on a bench and watched the sky deepen in color as the sun sank lower to the trees.   


_'Why am I feeding him?'_ her thoughts said. _'Why am I caring for the monster?'_   


She shook her head as if it would make the idea fly out of her skull.   


_'I should be ridding the world of Inuyasha! Not feeding him.'_ The thought continued, _'I must destroy the statue.'_   


Kagome rubbed her temples and tried to concentrate on happier things: the gossip at school, hanging around with her friends, her family, that big math exam she probably failed, anything happier!   


_'The other priestess died because of him.'_ It was like a voice in her head but it sounded so much like her own thoughts, if only much more sinister. _'At least she was able to turn him into stone before she died. He was an evil being that should have slept forever, until I broke the arrow. I have to fix the mistake I made. I have to kill Inuyasha!'_   


_'No.'_. She thought and was relieved this one did not have the same horrible tone. _'No… he hasn't done anything wrong. Why am I thinking this?'_   


_'He tried to kill me.'_ The sinister thought came back. The voice sounded exactly like her own. _'He did kill the other priestess. I should kill him now before he does the same to me.'_   


_'No.'_ her natural thoughts said. _'I don't think he will kill me. He's had the chance and he hasn't. He could have last night. He could have when he came in my room. I don't think he will kill me.'_   


_'Of course he will!'_ The sinister thought yelled. _'He's a demon! A heartless killer! He will kill me without thinking twice. He's killed before and there's nothing to stop him from killing again. Destroy him! Break his body while he is still stone.'_   


_'No!' _Kagome gripped her head tightly and fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes.   


_'Kill him!'_   


The sun sank down below the trees and the air turned colder. The thought stopped as she began to hear the cracking of stone under the tree and Inuyasha's cry into the night. Kagome breathed easier and shook the trembles out of her body. She was smiling when he emerged from the tree.   


"Good morning." She smiled. "Well, morning for you at least… I brought you some breakfast." She motioned to the tray beside her.   


She had gone all out assembling a meal that not even the most ornery of demons could resist. Inuyasha's stomach voiced its approval enthusiastically even if its owner did not look nearly as pleased.   


"What did you do?" he studied her. "Poison it or something?"   


"Not this time." She winked and patted the empty space on the bench.   


He sat down and she pushed the tray over to him with a friendly smile. He did not return it, but kept a steady eye on her movements like a cornered animal waiting for an attack.   


"You swear you didn't poison it?" He glared at her under lowered brows.   


"Cross my heart." She made a quick crossing motion over her chest.   


"What's that supposed to mean?" He snapped.   


"It means I promise." She smiled and shoved one of the bowls in his hands.   


They sat in quiet for a few moments, letting peace settle a little bit. At least peaceful for Kagome made her best efforts to be friendly. Inuyasha, however, was not exactly the most social of demons and constantly watched her for a sign of attack. When she just smiled and relaxed and showed him no threat, he really didn't know what to do.   


"Just what are you plotting?" he glared at her over the bowl. "You _did_ poison this didn't you!?"   


"No!" she gave an exasperated sigh. "And I'm not plotting anything."   


She shook her head and sat quietly for a moment until Inuyasha seemed satisfied he wasn't going to drop dead and resumed eating.   


"Hey…" she said softly, "Can I ask you something?"   


"No." he snorted and munched on the steak strip.   


"What's it like?" She said, ignoring his gruffness.   


"What's what like?" he replied suspiciously.   


"You know…" she stumbled and made confused hand gestures towards him, "It. Turning to stone every morning. Waking up and finding a whole day has passed?"   


"What the hell do you think it's like!?" he yelled and slammed the bowl down. "It's not fun, that's for sure. And not a day, Five-Hundred years! A whole fucking different world…" He cut off and looked pointedly away.   


"Oh." She said meekly and shuffled her feet in front of her. "That's right…" she thought out loud. "Before… the last thing you would have seen was…"   


"Getting fucking shot with an arrow." He finished and kicked a rock that had stupidly decided to be near his feet.   


_'By Kikyo…' _She kept the last thought to herself, not wanting to send him in a rage with the name. Even thought, she knew it was what they were both thinking.   


The woman he'd loved had sealed him away for what could have been forever. Now he was alone in a new world and all alone. He was proud, she could see that clearly, but he was helpless, having to take food given to him from a girl in a garden. Surviving off of pity… It must be hurting his soul more than anything else had.   


"As stone, you're asleep right?" she asked to change the subject.   


"Yeah…" he was watching her like she was a predator again. "What of it?"   


"Can you dream at all?" she said.   


"What kind of stupid question is that?" he snorted at her.   


"I was just curious!" she said, a little more harshly than she intended. He just huffed at her and went back to his food.   


"You really hate it here don't you." She asked quietly.   


"What was your first clue?" he huffed at her.   


"Then why do you stay?" she said, a little sadly.   


"No choice." He shrugged.   


"Of course you have a choice!" she said.   


"Yeah… Stay and wake up, or leave and collect pigeon crap for the rest of time." He huffed.   


Kagome looked at him confused. "Wait," she said, "you mean you can't leave the garden or else…"   


"I'm as good as dead." He nodded. "That's right. Every sunrise I have to park my happy ass back under that tree if I plan on seeing another night. I'm caged."   


He looked over and saw her looking at him with a pitying expression that he hated. "Not that I care!" he snapped. "This whole world has gone insane and I'd much rather just stay where things aren't trying to kill me every five seconds."   


"It's not that bad." Kagome defended.   


"It smells." He said. "Everything is too bright and too loud and too crowded."   


"You haven't been able to see much of it." Kagome said. "And I bet you didn't know half of what you saw." A flash of inspiration came to her mind and she looked at him carefully. "Do you want to?"   


"Want to what?" he said.   


"See the city." She said. "I can show you around and explain things, so everything isn't so unfamiliar to you and you can know your way around. Then you can even go out during the night and not be trapped here in the garden all the time."   


"And why would I want to do that?" he growled, but it was weak and both he and Kagome knew it was a bluff.   


"Because you don't look like you do well in a cage." She said honestly.   


He looked over at the walls and his ears flicked back and forth in what Kagome guessed was indecision. "What have you got to lose?" she offered.   


He gave a quick nod and was on his feet, striding quickly to the far garden wall and she rushed to catch up with him.   


"Wait!" she yelled. "How are we going to do this? I mean, it's not like I can just take you to catch a bus. You'd kind of stand out."   


He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and with a movement she couldn't detect, he grabbed her arm and hoisted her in the air. She gave a startled yelp as he dumped her on his back and grabbed her legs with a meaningful hiss.   


"You scream and I drop you."   


With that, he leapt over the walls and high into the night sky and Kagome bit her lips to keep the forbidden scream from escaping. He jumped from tree to tree until they made it to the street level, but instead of dropping to the ground, this time he jumped as high as he could into the air. "Hold on." He commanded and released her legs before landing on a building face and sinking his claws into the surface. She trembled against him and clutched at his neck as he climbed the rest of the way to the top.   


Once they were on the building's top, he took her legs again and ran to the side, jumping from building to building.   


He could feel her heart thumping against his chest and he smirked with satisfaction. So the little girl was afraid on his back? Good, she'd been confusing him with her lack of fear when he so clearly could destroy her if he wanted to. Lucky for her he didn't have any need to do so.   


_'Not yet, but it will come. It's so easy. Just let go of her legs and she'll never have the chance to be a threat to me.' _A voice said in his head. Inuyasha growled and put his ears back and landed a little rougher than usual.   


_'What the fuck was that?'_ he thought. He didn't like where this line was going. Something about that voice in his head, it sounded so much like his own but it didn't feel right. He'd felt something similar before; five-hundred years before to the rest of the world, only weeks to him. It didn't fit.   


"Is something wrong?" a meek voice whispered in his ear.   


"Nothing." He said and spotted a growth of trees in the middle of all the lights. "What's over there?" He asked and pointed to it.   


"It's a park." She said. "Do you want to see?"   


He grunted an affirmative and leapt from the building. He felt Kagome clutch tightly at his neck again, but she still didn't scream. The girl had more guts than he'd given her credit for.   


They landed between the trees on a dimly lit path and he released her legs so she could slide down. "What do you think so far?" she asked as she pulled her fingers through wind-tangled hair.   


"Still smelly. Still crowded. Still bright. Still loud." He shrugged.   


"There's more to it than that." She sighed. "There's beauty and families that stick together, friends to stay up all night with talking. Moms who take their kids to parks like this, like my mom did with me and Sota."   


He gave a non committal grunt and walked a few steps ahead of her. As he looked around his surroundings, he found them oddly familiar. Ahead of him was a lake, moderate in size, but with a clearing along the north end. He knew this place. Yes, he was sure of it. This was a place where he had once hunted. He would sleep near the lake so he could bathe and fish in the morning.   


Something familiar in a strange world.   


He didn't realize that his body relaxed, but Kagome did and she smiled.   


For a moment in time, things were at peace. But like any perfect moment, something is bound to come along and ruin it all. Hanging around under a street light not far from the path, a local gang of high school kids noticed the pair walking in the park after dark.   


The leader laughed and made a crude joke to his friends about the girl, and just what he'd like to do with a girl like that. They all laughed, but none and any intention of taking it any farther than the inappropriate joke.   


_'Prove it to them.' _ a thought rang in the leader's mind. _'You want respect. Power. You don't want to be a weak leader. How much will they respect a leader who is all talk and no action?'_   


"Hey." The young man yelled to his friends. "Let's show them what happens to people who come where they're not supposed to be."   


Kagome walked slowly behind Inuyasha, letting him have his space and just look around the park. He looked suddenly younger with wide curious eyes and his ears twitching to all directions.   


"Do you want to look around some more or explore somewhere els…" She stopped with a muffled scream as a head closed over her mouth from behind.   


Inuyasha turned quickly and was attacked by five other boys. He took care of them easily, throwing them from his shoulders and deflecting their weak punches. One had a small metal club that was quickly knocked from his hand as he was knocked to the ground. When he was clear, he snarled at the one holding Kagome.   


The leader smiled viciously at Inuyasha and flipped open a knife with a flick of the wrist. He held the blade up to Kagome's neck and she trembled but held still in his arms. "You don't want to come any closer, or your pretty little friend won't be so pretty. Just throw down all your money and we'll let her go."   


Inuyasha did not react.   


"What's the matter? Maybe I didn't get this right." The young thug smiled. "Well, if you don't care, I may just go ahead and keep her. I can think of a lot of things I'd like from a girl like this."   


Inuyasha didn't respond.   


The knife suddenly lost its pressure against her neck. Kagome looked and saw the thugs arm looked as though it was being pulled away, giving her just enough freedom to wriggle free. Once she had room, she turned and kicked straight up and hard, right between her attacker's legs and into his groin.   


He doubled over and she rushed away, only a moment before a silver flash appeared and punched the boy hard in the face. The young thug flew back to the ground and before he blacked out, he caught sight of two triangular ears on top of a silver head and flashing claws shining down at him.   


"Monster…" he whispered and passed out.   


Inuyasha stood over the boy with fierce determination and fighting the urge to kill. "Yeah… nothing but a monster." He snarled and turned away back to Kagome. She was sitting with her legs folded under her and gripping her shirt at her chest. Her breath came in quick pants and she wasn't focusing on him.   


"You'd better not cry." He snarled at her.   


"You…" she panted. "You stopped them."   


He snorted and grabbed her arm, hoisting her back to his back. "Don't you read anything into it." He grunted. "If they killed you, I wouldn't know how to get back. That's all."   


He decided he'd had enough of a tour for one night and jumped back into the trees.   


~*~   


Kagome fell into her desk chair. What a night… and she still hadn't finished any of her homework. Being a student, a daughter, and a care taker to a cursed hanyou was not very forgiving to her schedule. She gathered her books and valiantly started the pile of math problems and reading that needed to be done before school the next day.   


Not long into her work load, there was a knock on her door and she absently yelled out "Come in!" without bothering to look up.   


The door opened and closed softly, but no one spoke, which was unusual. Sota or Grandpa would just come barging in, and her mother always noticed she was busy in study and would say whatever she needed to say and leave. That was why when Kagome looked up, she was more than surprised to see Sango leaning against her door.   


"H…Hi." She stuttered. "Sango… is there something you… uh… needed…I…"   


"I know you heard before…" Sango whispered sadly and cut her off. "When I was arguing with Miroku on the stairs."   


"Heard?" Kagome sputtered and shook her head, "Heard what? Oh… No… I just was walking up the stairs with Sota. I didn't hear anything…"   


Sango smiled and gently shook her head no. "You've never been able to lie." She said.   


Kagome stilled with that. Oddly comforting to hear, and yet unnerving because she was right. Again, Sango was claiming to know her so well, but that couldn't be possible.   


"I have a lot to explain, I guess." Sango said sadly. "And it's a long story."   


"I've got the time…" Kagome whispered.   


Sango sighed and began speaking slow and soft. "Five hundred years ago, a priestess turned the demon Inuyasha into stone and died soon after."   


"I already knew that part…" Kagome snapped.   


"Their spirits were not at ease," Sango continued, "And would not rest in the next life. Also, with only the priestess dieing, and the demon merely being sealed, it threw everything off balance. Because of this, two angels guarded over the two souls until the priestess could be reborn and the spell binding Inuyasha could be broken."   


Kagome had been listening in rapt silence. "You?" she asked and Sango gave her a nod. "And Miroku?" Kagome asked again and received the same nod.   


"I was lucky enough to follow your soul until it took place inside your mother's body." Sango smiled, "I was there the day you were born, and every day following."   


"I don't believe this." Kagome sighed and rested her head in her hands.   


"But it is true." Sango said softly.   


Kagome looked at her, calculating, and said quickly "Alright. If it's true, what was my favorite stuffed animal when I was a kid?"   


"A little white dog." Sango said with a remembering smile. "Your mother named it Annie, but you could not say it properly. So the dog's name became Einie."   


"What do I want to do with my life after I graduate?" Kagome shot again.   


"You don't know." Sango smiled. "You're still waiting for some divine inspiration on what you should be, but I can tell you it's not going to work out like that."   


"When was my first kiss?" She shot out again.   


"Not yet." Sango said with a nod. "At least not one you count. The kid who ate paste in kindergarten and chased you around during recess saying he wanted to marry you doesn't count."   


"You love children and roses. You prefer your hot chocolate with five marshmallows. You flip through songs on the radio and never listen to them all the way through. You hate math, and you have a scar under your right knee where you fell off a bike when you were seven."   


Kagome was gaping. Sango was smiling.   


"What am I afraid of?" Kagome asked in wonder.   


"Spiders." Sango said simply. "You were cleaning a cupboard when you where ten and uncovered a nest of them. One almost bit you and you've been scared since."   


"It didn't though…" Kagome remembered. "All of a sudden, it just flew off to the side…"   


"I don't like spiders either…" Sango whispered.   


"And earlier tonight?" Kagome met her eyes. "That was you, wasn't it?"   


Sango nodded.   


Kagome smiled up at Sango, who for the first time in a long time didn't have sadness in her eyes. Sango smiled back, relieved that the girl she had come to care so much for was not afraid and did not hate her.   


"Kagome," Sango said, "Has anything been going on that you want to tell me about? You don't have to, but has anything strange been going on? Something I should know about or can help you with?"   


Kagome instantly thought of her nightmares and almost spilled everything to Sango right there, but she stopped herself. It was only a silly dream and she wouldn't it come true. Whatever was inside her that was making her dream and think those horrible things, she didn't really want Sango to know about. Sango was an angel! She might be disgusted that these thoughts were even coming to her.   


Kagome smiled and shook her head.   


"No." she said. "There isn't anything."   


  


**Next Chapter:** Guilty Conscience  



	6. Guilty Conscience

** Author's Note: ** I'm so sorry for this hugely long delay! I had finals. I had a job. I fell in love… I trust you will forgive based on these factors.   


**The Low Down:** I was quite happy with the last chapter. I'm also quite happy with my story outline. This is going to be one of those transitional chapters, so forgive this being slow and not exactly the most plot moving. But I'm using it as a bit of background info/ exposition stuff, and it is almost straight-up a Miroku chapter… so it makes me happy. J **   
**

Stone Gardens   


Chapter 6   


Guilty Conscience   


***   


  


Not all the sheep in all the world would help her sleep tonight.   


The covers were too hot, but when she kicked them off, the air was too cold. Her pajama bottoms got tangled around her ankles uncomfortably, but with all her tossing, there was no way to prevent that. Kagome huffed and flopped once again on her pillow in exasperation, and eyes long since accustomed to the dim light stared up at the ceiling.   


She was afraid. Actually afraid to go to sleep. She'd never in her life ever had a nightmare so horrible to make her want to never dream again, but every time she closed her eyes, she could still see herself with that malicious smile. She was afraid of herself in those dreams where she destroyed a helpless Inuyasha.   


Inuyasha... Kagome's heart clenched in pity for the demon boy. Completely alone in a new world and at the mercy of whoever would pass by during the day, he had no one to help him or to trust.   


All he had was her, and her homicidal nightmares. Poor guy...   


_'I want to help him.' _Kagome thought miserably. _'But where in the world would I start? I don't know magic... don't know anything about spells.'_   


Maybe she should have asked Sango, but then she'd had five-hundred years and hadn't figured out a way to break the spell. But if two angels couldn't do it, what would a little school girl be able to do? Who else could she ask?   


An image of her grandfather running about the shrine waving charms and spouting about his newest magical discovery flinted across her mind and almost brought a smile. The old man would probably die of a heart attack if she asked his advice over the mystical, and she also doubted he'd have any viable information.   


But her grandfather did have a library... and although he may not know the difference between a water sprite and a garden gnome, a massive pile of ancient spell books might at least contain a clue.   


And it didn't look like she'd be getting any sleep any time soon.   


"Might as well." she sighed and threw her blankets to the side.   


She padded down the shadowy halls on silent toes and made her way to the library. The door creaked slightly as she slid it open, but seemed loud in the quiet night.   


The room was brighter, with a large window letting in the bright moon light. It was also much larger than she'd thought, with rows upon rows of ancient looking books and mountains of old scrolls strewn about. One could be lost in here for years and maybe not find what they needed!   


But in the middle of the cluttered knowledge, she saw Miroku, pouring over a massive book in the center of a little table and looking very tired. He hadn't even noticed her yet, it seemed, by the way he was concentrating on the crackling yellowed pages.   


Kagome took a step backwards towards the door, thinking she'd just come back later and not disturb him (or perhaps avoid him all together), but a floorboard creaked under her bare foot. Miroku looked up surprised, but his eyes softened as he saw her.   


"Good evening, Miss Kagome." he said quietly.   


"Hi..." she said shakily.   


He smiled gently and motioned for her to come closer. She nervously approached and watched his every move but he never lost the gentle, inviting smile.   


"What keeps you awake so late at night?" he said.   


"Couldn't sleep." she whispered.   


"Ahh." he nodded. "Yes, that is understandable, given recent happenings." A quick wave of his hand invited her to take a seat.   


"What are you doing up?" She asked as she slipped into the chair across from him.   


"Just a little light reading." he smiled. "But if I were to bet, I would say you've come to search for what I look for as well." His voice became grave.   


"Inuyasha?" she met his eyes which nodded to her. "Miroku..." she started, "Can I ask you something?"   


"Anything you wish."   


"It was Kikyo who cast the spell on Inuyasha, right?"   


"Yes, that is true." Miroku nodded.   


"And I used to be Kikyo?"   


His eyes widened and he stammered, "What would make you ask..."   


"Sango told me. She said she watched over the soul until it was reborn in my body." Kagome said with emotion.   


"You weren't supposed to know that." Miroku smiled gently to her.   


"So it's my fault..." her eyes trembled. "It's my fault he's like that."   


"Miss Kagome," Miroku reached over the parchments and took her hand gently. "It is true that what happened to Inuyasha and Kikyo was tragic, but it was none of your doing."   


"But it was my soul." She persisted.   


"Kagome," he sighed, "this is difficult to explain. A soul is not a fixed variable in a person's character. It changes and grows based on your experiences and yet retains something unique to itself with each life until it rests completely in peace. You share something with Kikyo through the soul, but also you have changed the soul to fit yourself. Whatever made Kikyo attack was not an act of the soul that you now possess and was none of your doing."   


"I..." she stared at the hand over hers, somehow it seemed like an angel shouldn't feel like just any other person. She'd kind of expected him to not be solid or be tingly. "I just feel guilty."   


"Believe me, Kagome." Miroku said sincerly, "You have nothing to feel guilty about. I on the other hand, would seem to have much to atone for."   


She met his eyes surprised.   


"It was me who planned to mislead your family into coming here." He said. "I wanted to bring you here because I hopped you'd have some way to break the spell. And you have, in a way. Inuyasha has awoken, but things haven't worked out completely as I'd hoped."   


He gave her a quick wink and withdrew his hand from hers. "So for my part, Kagome, I thank you for your help in waking Inuyasha. Now, I have only to find the way to remove the rest of the curse."   


"I'd like to help, Miroku." she said quietly. "I don't know what to do, but I want to help, if that's alright?"   


"I think that would be just fine." Miroku smiled and turned pulled open another book.   


Kagome smiled and leafed through a pile of old papers. "So what am I looking for?"   


  


~*~   


  


"Miss Higurashi?" The marshmallow rabbit called to her. Silly rabbit... it was about to be a chubby bunny. "Miss Higurashi!" It snapped at her viscously.   


Kagome's eyes snapped open and she popped her head back up from her desk amidst the giggles of her classmates. She found herself eye-to-eye with an agitated algebra teacher.   


"As you don't see the need to pay attention, Miss Higurashi," the old man's forehead crinkled in irritation, "perhaps you would like to demonstrate problems on the board?"   


Kagome held down the lump in her throat as she looked over the completely foreign writings on the wall and momentarily forgot how to speak.   


"Are you not prepared to work the assignment?" her teacher sneered and she gave a bashful shake of the head. "Then you would do well to pay attention!" He snapped.   


Kagome let out a relieved breath when he turned away from her and returned to the front of the room.   


"And Miss Higurashi, you will report for detention after classes this evening." He said without looking back at her.   


She chose to ignore the snickering grins many classmates turned to her as well as the sympathetic looks from her friends.   


He just had to wake her up in the first non horrifying dream she'd mustered in a long time. Of course if she could get no peaceful sleep at home, she would be able to dream happily where she wasn't allowed to sleep, and now a detention on top of everything else in her crazed life.   


"Just great." she sighed and turned her eyes quickly back to her math book. The rest of class was a blur of factorials and exponentials until with the ever-loved ring of the bell, her class all grabbed their bags and made their way to the door.   


She shuffled through the door quickly, pointedly not looking at her teacher for fear of whatever horrible look he must be sending her.   


The door swung shut, and had Kagome paid attention, she would have seen her teacher, though slightly smug, paid her no further thought as he leafed through his next class' lecture notes. He went to sit at his desk to prepare for the next group of students when the chair slipped quickly from under him.   


Kagome missed her teacher landing flat on the floor in a confused stupor and sputtering as he looked for whatever might have pulled his chair away.   


"Kagome!" a voice called her attention in the busy hall. Three girls rushed up to her with concern and irritation on her part. "That was horrible what he did to you!" Yuka cried.   


"You look exhausted." Eri said with worry and placed a hand on her forehead.   


"I'm alright." she smiled and pushed her friend's hand away. "Just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."   


"Is something wrong?"   


"No, no... just not used to the new house yet, I guess." she smiled.   


" I guess it would be a lot to get used to." Yuka nodded and attended to her lunch.   


Kagome smiled: guardian angels, ancient spells, late night ventures into the city with a hanyou, all-nighters with a deviant priest...   


"You can say that again." she sighed.   


  


~*~   


  


The sky was turning pink and the late shrine goers were filling off with souvenirs and charms down the long steps to the streets below. It was peaceful and still as any temple should be in the calm recesses of dusk.   


So of course Miroku was going crazy.   


It was far too quiet and nothing he tried seemed to be able to put his mind at ease. It hung in the air and stirred the leaves high above with the wind.   


Kagome was late. Anything could have happened and Sango might not have been able to handle it alone. She could have been kidnapped. She could have been killed by some unspeakably evil force. Perhaps worse, she could be spending time with some high school boy and ruining his mission of making her fall in love with an ornery, foul-mouthed, maladjusted demon.   


But possibly the worst of it all, he was on kid duty.   


"Hey Miroku, watch this!" Sota called from across the courtyard running with a soccer ball.   


"That's great!" he feigned enthusiasm and looked out over the courtyard, leaning against his staff. It all was so quiet, one would never know the trauma this little shrine could inflict upon the soul. Especially with two seemingly eternally cursed beings that just seemed doomed to be together. Even during the day, Inuyasha himself was still and quiet.   


Stone paths, stone walls, stone body: behind all of it was sleeping chaos just waiting to come to the surface. Miroku didn't trust the calm for one moment.   


_'Something isn't right…' _ He thought and let his eyes sweep over the courtyard. _'It's small, but I can sense another presence here. Perhaps the dark aura Shippo mentioned?'_   


_'Yes!'_ It clicked in his mind and he sensed the aura of another being in the courtyard. It was small, obviously something hiding its true strength as he knew many high power demons could do, and close. Yes, it was very close.   


He didn't look, already feeling out the location without the need of his eyes. Any unneeded motion might alert the threat that it had been discovered and ruin the opportunity to vanquish this unseen enemy.   


He gripped the handle tightly and made one last mental sweep for the presence. Undoubtedly, it was right behind him and it was still masking its strength. It was coming closer, slowly, and cautiously, he could feel the tiny pulses of energy in the back of his consciousness. It was only three meters behind... Two…   


"One." He muttered and pivoted on his ankles, swinging the staff around in a wide, fast arc, and bringing it down hard on the spot where he felt the power. It cracked the paving stone with the force and dust flew up at impact.   


Miroku stood stone faced while the dust cleared… until he saw nothing was there.   


"What?" he murmured confused. "I was so sure…"   


"Mnph gmph wuimph!" a muffled voice called from the head of his staff.   


He picked up the staff quickly to find the source of the noise, and to his great surprise, found a tiny little being, who would have been quite round and fat had he not been flattened against the pavement.   


"What are you?" Miroku ground out and swiftly spun his staff around to bring the butt of it down onto the tiny being's stomach. "Tell me what you're doing here now!"   


"Ooff!" the flea-looking thing coughed out. "Shippo… scout… warning!"   


"What warning?" Miroku said. "You expect me just to believe some strange being lurking around here?"   


"No time…" the flea said. "The boy… Inuyasha…"   


"The boy?" Miroku repeated confused and glanced up. Sota was gone. He was alone in the courtyard with this flea, which was good, but he noticed immediately that garden door, which had been refastened, was now opened wide.   


"Sota!" Miroku yelled and forgot about the smashed flea for the moment.   


He rushed to the door in a flash and time suddenly stood still. The ball was flying through the air, directly at Inuyasha's head with enough speed and force that even though it was only an inflated ball, it could snap the thin stone of facial features or ears easily enough.   


"NO!" he screamed and made a frantic dive in front of Inuyasha's statue. He hit ground on the hard paving stones and clutched the projectile safely against his chest.   


"Sota," he ground out panting, "What were you doing?!" he looked up and tossed the soccer ball back away.   


"I was just playing…" the kid stepped back and looked genuinely worried. "I didn't mean to kick it at the statue, I didn't even look up at it."   


"You could have broken it." Miroku said, trying desperately to keep his voice calm. "Why would you do that?"   


"I don't know, Miroku." He said shakily. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."   


He sighed looking at the boy and forced himself to calm down. Of course the child wouldn't understand and he didn't want to hurt the boy by being angry. The child had become oddly attached to him in the past few days and was always hanging about underfoot.   


It would have been endearing had it not been annoying.   


"Just don't do that again, Sota." He said with a smile. "You shouldn't play in here."   


The child nodded and looked at the statue curiously. "Miroku, what's the deal with this statue anyway? Kagome's always in here looking at it."   


"Well," Miroku said, "It is very old. It's part of an ancient story of tragic love."   


Sota made a face and huffed. "Oh is that all? I thought it would be something cool like a hunter going off and killing monsters in a war of good and evil, not some sissy love story."   


Miroku laughed and lead Sota back towards the garden entrance. "Ahh, but there is no war as fierce as the one that plays in the human heart, my boy."   


"Huh?"   


"You'll find out soon." Miroku smiled, but despite his restored humor, there was a nagging question in his mind.   


Where had that little flea thing gone?   


  


~*~   


  


Where had that girl gone?   


Inuyasha walked tentatively around the garden sniffing the air for traces of the scent he most wanted to find in the world. Food.   


His stomach growled in protest at its emptiness and he gave one in agreement. There was definitely no food or girl in the garden tonight, so he'd just have to go find one of them for himself.   


Inuyasha leapt to the wall and gave a quick glance for anyone watching before springing high to the building's roof and running on his toes. He remembered where the girl's room had been before, the section of the house that had held the highest concentration of her scent, and could see the large tree that was just outside its window.   


He slid down close to the trunk down into the branches until he could peer inside her window. No one was there. He moved forward swiftly and slid the glass open and slipped inside. The room definitely smelled strongly of the girl, but it was old, by several hours. She had been gone for a while.   


Well, no girl, he'd have to go find the second and most important option for himself. Inuyasha strode quickly to the door across the room and pushed it open. He was about to step through when the door pushed back. Hard.   


"Ouch!" he snarled and grabbed his bashed nose.   


"You don't want to go down there." Miroku said sternly. "Her family is there, quite worried all ready, and definitely not aware of a demon living in their midst."   


"So what do you expect me to do?" Inuyasha growled.   


"Wait for Kagome."   


"How long will that be?"   


"I have no idea." Miroku shrugged. "But you aren't going to terrorize her family while she's gone."   


"What's it matter to you, anyway?" the hanyou said.   


"I care for the sanctity and peace deserved to all living beings." Miroku said grandly. _'And the fact that Kagome would kill you and I don't want to start this mess all over again!' _he added silently.   


"What crap!" Inuyasha huffed and walked forward. "I'm hungry and I'm not listening to your holy horseshit."   


He grabbed the door's handle and twisted hard. Then tried again. Then started to shake the whole door in its hinges.   


"I said no." Miroku said. "Wait for Kagome."   


Inuyasha was about to start clawing at the wood when he decided that probably wasn't to help him much either if he couldn't even turn a knob. So he was stuck starving until that lazy little girl saw fit to grace the house with her presence. Why him?   


"Where is that wench anyway?" he fumed and slid down to sit against the wall.   


"That's what I'd like to know too." Miroku muttered and watched through the window for any sign of her return.   


  


~*~   


  


Kagome slowly blinked her eyes open and pulled her head up from her arms. It was night. The moon cast dim light over her through the window pane. She was still sitting in her desk in the detention room.   


It was so still and peaceful and she'd had nice dreams again. She would have just closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. But slowly, Kagome began to hear a muffled sort of sound, getting persistently louder and clearer.   


"Higurashi… Higurashi, wake up. It's late. You should go home."   


She gave a quick jump at the realization and looked around. Hojo took his had away and gave her a kind smile.   


"Hojo!" she said surprised. "What are you still doing here?"   


"I stayed late for my club meeting and noticed you in here when I was walking out." He smiled.   


She shook her head at her own foolishness and started gathering her supplies and wondering just what time it was and how much of a lecture she would be getting from a worried mother.   


"You must have been very tired." He observed. "Are you alright?"   


"I'm fine." She smiled embarrassed and closed her bag. "I'm not sick or anything, just not sleeping too well."   


"I see." He nodded and held out a hand. Kagome looked up at him confused to what he was doing until he took the bag from her and lifted it on his shoulder. "Let me walk you home. You shouldn't be out alone this late."   


"Um… sure." She said confused and got up to follow.   


Unseen in the darkness, a third someone followed, muttering in a silent voice that Miroku wasn't going to like this.   


  


~*~   


  


"What is this?!" Sango looked up to see a very disgruntled Miroku staring down the shrine steps. Right past her and to the street below.   


_'Yep.' _ She thought. _'He's not happy.'_   


She sighed and looked down to where Hojo was standing with Kagome.   


"What does that kid think he's doing?" Miroku seethed and pointed to the sandy haired boy.   


Sango rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "He's her classmate. She had to stay late for detention and he offered to walk her home."   


"And you let him?!" Miroku yelled and started walking down the stairs towards her.   


"Of course!" Sango snarled up at him. "It's completely innocent. He's her friend and he was walking her home because he was concerned for her well being."   


"I don't believe it." Miroku crossed his arms over his chest. "Never believe the nice guy routine! I should know..." He looked down at Hojo suspiciously. "We can't jeopardize this mission because some hormonal teenage boy gets a crush! That kid's a threat."   


Sango looked over her shoulder where Hojo was waving amicably to Kagome, a vision of innocence and boy next door values. "Right..." she said and walked back up the stairs, waving Miroku off. Kagome soon followed and walked past without noticing him.   


"Fine... fine... don't listen to me." Miroku sighed pitiably and walked back up the steps. "I've only been doing this for the last few millennia, what do I know?"   


_'Of course it hasn't worked out the last few millennia.'_ An unbidden thought made him frown.   


"Can I help it if those two are hopeless?" He muttered.   


_'Actually... you can... that's the point.'_ The logical voice countered.   


Miroku sighed and picked up the broom he'd abandoned when he'd seen that boy show up and threaten to ruin his five- hundred years of waiting.   


Why did Sango have to be so attached to Kagome anyway? "Let the girl exorcize free will," "Let her be with people of her own century," "Don't push her towards a cranky demon boy who just so happened to be her predestined soul mate." Weren't people supposed to want to find their soul mates?   


_'When they're pleasant.'_ Miroku smiled despite himself.   


Sango was attached, and as awkward as that might make their work, it was a truth. She was new to this work though, she hadn't yet learned that being attached would only make it harder when it all fell apart.   


And it so often did.   


Miroku had been attached once. He frowned as the memory sprang to life. The souls had been new to the world, only the first time to ever see the land of the living and had fallen in love.   


They had been a simple couple: a strong lad with a fierce temper trying to make a livelihood from farming and his lovely young wife, quiet and demure and the only force in the world to make the man calm. They would have made a fine home and raised many strong and beautiful children, but their promised happiness was stolen away.   


There had been a bandit in the area once that masqueraded as a priest... there had been a fire when the bandit needed a distraction to escape…   


Miroku shuddered and ran his had over his eyes. _'I didn't know.' _ He thought. _ 'I thought it was an empty house. I just kept thinking it was an empty house.'_   


_'I wanted to make it up to them so badly.' _ He thought, _'Even I had been caring and doting then. I did every thing right! I watched them so closely… never let any threat enter their paths, everything was perfect for them.'_   


He passed a hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no use thinking on such things again. He'd done everything perfectly the first time, and the second, and many times after that. But as time went by, and it was more and more obvious that perfect just wasn't good enough, what else could he do?   


He just stopped getting attached.   


_'Sango is attached though.'_ He thought, _'But this is just her first time as a guardian. She has time to learn. We both have nothing but time.'_   


He disappeared into the night to maintain his watch as he had done for so long, leaving no mark that he'd ever been there at all.   


  


** Next Chapter:** Bargaining Power 


	7. Bargaining Power

**Author's Note:** Again… a semi short chapter that should not have taken long to get out… darn that Snood! Still a transitional chapter. 

**The Low down:** This chapter was fun to write. Well… I had fun at least… in my weird sense of humor sort of way. 

**Stone Gardens **

Chapter 7 

Bargaining Power 

* * *

It was cold. The night wind chilled his skin and there was an eerie quiet all around that put the hanyou warrior on edge. Shadows loomed from the trees, making the whole forest look filled with cloaked figures, all in wait to attack. Inuyasha shook his head to dispel the disturbing thoughts. He was being foolish. The forest was no different this night than any others. He would not jump at shadows.

"Inuyasha!" An arrow sliced through sky and embedded itself into the thick wood. He whipped around to find the voice. 

She was there. Staring at him with another arrow already notched. So much hate was in Kikyo's eyes. 

She was bleeding heavily. 

"Kikyo!" He called, "What are you doing?!" 

Another arrow shot at him and he dodged agilely. The demon stared up at his assailant and anger took his heart. She was attacking him with no cause. She who swore to him… she was trying to kill him. 

"I should have known." He muttered and glared up at Kikyo. She was rearming now, so he'd have to attack quickly to get the weapon away. Then he'd find out why she was betraying him. Then he'd know for sure that it had all been a lie. 

With a predatory snarl and eyes glowing dangerously in the dim light, Inuyasha leapt towards the priestess. But Kikyo was no stranger to danger and the move was not unanticipated. Her arrow was notched on the bowstring and began glowing with a pale violet light. 

"Die!" She screamed and let fly the glowing arrow. It moved slowly, brilliant against the dark world, to his eyes. It was so surreal, watching dumbfounded as it struck the mark, right into his heart. Inuyasha fell into the dirt and struggled pitifully to get back on his feet. 

"Kikyo…" he muttered as a hand went to clutch his chest as he wobbled for balance. "Kikyo, why?" 

A peculiar feeling was starting at his toes and steadily working its way up his legs. He was finding it hard to move and his flesh tingled as though his feet had fallen asleep. He glanced down and saw his flesh was pale, a dingy stony gray. Not only his skin, but also the color of his clothing was also fading to the gray color, and they were getting much heavier. 

"Never again, Inuyasha." Kikyo said with a deadly calm as she watched him. The tingly feeling was working its way up to his waist and fingers. He could no longer move his hands. 

"Never again will your evil hurt the world." 

The words shocked him and he tried to look at her, but he found he could not turn his head. He could not move at all, not his hands, not his feet, not his neck, not anything. His face felt numb and his eyes searched franticly for any answer. 

And then there was only dark. 

He was trapped. It was too dark, to still, to confined. Inuyasha felt like he was suffocating in the tight nothingness and he began to panic. He concentrated every fiber of demon strength to try to move his unrelentingly still muscles. He wanted so desperately to tear his dark prison with his claws. He had to get out! He couldn't take it! It would kill him to be trapped for one moment longer. 

Frantically, he fought the dark and gave a desperate and strangled roar. He was free and he erupted into the night with fragments of stone flying out in all directions. He was under a tree and was confused for a moment. 

That was when he realized; he was in the garden in the shrine. The moon was rising over the wall and bathing the area with a pale light. Five hundred years had passed. Kikyo was dead. 

"Shit, not again." Inuyasha muttered and passed a hand over his eyes. 

A fleeting memory flashed through his mind. 'Can you dream at all?' the girl had asked him not long ago. 

"Every fucking day," He growled softly. 

* * *

_'Stay open eyes.' ___

Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her seat again and tried to focus on the teacher in front of her. Or at the very least, look like she was focusing. Blinking several times and bouncing her leg under the desk, Kagome concentrated on keeping her eyes open. 

_'This isn't working…'_ she thought miserably and images of herself sitting through another detention flashed in her imagination. 

So this is what staying up all night in a dark library bent over ancient scrolls for weeks would do to a girl. Puffy dark bags under her eyes and a lagging concentration, but she'd do her best to make up for it tomorrow. Yes, she'd finally made it to the end of yet another stressful week and could practically feel the cool softness of her pillow against her cheek. 

She just had to make it through this last class without drifting off and landing herself in detention for another few hours. 'Just concentrate, Kagome,' she instructed her weary mind._ 'Focus on school! Nobunaga... big warlord. Conquered lots of stuff... Jengoku Jidai... about five hundred years ago... that's when Kikyo...'_

Kagome sighed and slumped a little lower in her desk. Her mind was back on it again. 'That's when Kikyo sealed Inuyasha in stone. _I've been trying to figure out this dumb spell so long it's all I can think about.'_

It was a binding spell, she'd been so proud when she'd figured at least that much out. But of course when she'd told Miroku of her wondrous discovery, he'd just given her that little "and what about it?" look. 

_'Why am I doing this any way? Anything I find, Miroku already knows. He tells me more than I can ever tell him. '_ She thought miserably and went back to pretending to pay attention in class. So all she knew was what Miroku had already told her: it was a binding spell, it had to be removed by the one who cast it with the same sort of magic, which of course Kagome had no hope of ever learning, or the stipulations of the spell had to be met, which she had no way of knowing what they might be as the only person who knew the spell conveniently died right after casting it and never wrote it down. 

It was all so confusing, Kagome had to fight the urge to bang her head against the desk in effort to force some answer inside it. Because there just had to be an answer. 

Somehow, she had broken at least part of the spell without knowing it, so there simply had to be a way to break it completely that they just weren't quite seeing. It felt so close, just out of her mind's grasp like lyrics to a song you know you know but just can't quite remember. 

Kagome had never been more thankful for a school bell in all her life when her frustrated thoughts were interrupted and the class picked up their belongings and head for the door. 

"Whew!" Kagome let out and fell back against the wall as soon as she was safely out of the room. Having successfully evaded staying after school after another sleepy day, she felt she deserved feeling proud of herself and let out a dreamy smile. The day was over, finally, and she was home free. She could even squeeze in a much-needed nap before dinner without worrying about anything. Then she could relax for the weekend. 

"Higurashi!" She glanced to Hojo walking up to her with a sweet smile, which she returned and pushed herself back off the wall. "Tired?" he asked with a little laugh in his voice. 

"Just ready for the weekend." She smiled. 

"Yeah, really." They turned and walked down the hall, which was quickly emptying of homeward bound students. "Me too. Though you seem like you've been working pretty hard all week." 

"It shows huh?" She laughed a little nervously. 

"Only a little. Extra credit assignment?" He asked. 

"Well," she thought, "You could say it's just extra curricular stuff." 

"I see." he nodded. "Keeps you pretty busy huh?" 

"You could say that," she agreed. 

"Are you busy tonight?" he asked suddenly. 

"What?" Kagome said confused. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to go see a movie with me." 

"Tonight?" she repeated him. 

"Yeah, unless you have something else going on." 

"No." she stammered a little bit, "Nothing's really going on tonight." 

"Great." He smiled sweetly, "Then I'll meet you at 8:00?" 

Kagome felt the start of a blush forming at her cheeks and her heartbeat was quickly becoming more obvious in her chest. _'Why not?'_ she thought. 

"Sure." She smiled 

* * *

The sun had set a few minutes earlier, leaving the skies a dusky warm purple color with just a hint of the brightest stars peeking through. The air was cool with a soft breeze making the rose blossoms sway in the wind and the willow branches twirl. It was without a doubt the perfect time of day. It was serene, calming, quiet... kinda.

Because next to her was an engrossed hanyou sucking up noodles in a chicken broth with the most stomach turning slurps man had yet known. 

"You know, it's not going anywhere, right?" Kagome said disapprovingly. 

"I'm hungry, wench," the gluttonous hanyou said between messy slurps. "You don't have to stay if you have a problem with it." 

She was about to reply with a snide remark of her own with the most pitiful yowling announced the arrival of a fat, calico blob streaking across the stone path and launching himself into her arms. 

"Buyo!" Kagome's eyes snapped up fearfully while Inuyasha looked at her curiously. "Get back here! Mom said I have to give you a bath. You smell!" 

Kagome had no time to think. Soon after her cat, her little brother ran into the garden chasing the fur-ball, but skidded to a stop in seconds. 

It would be hard to miss the silver-haired, red clad, dog-eared young man with a wad of noodles hanging down his chin. Sota's wide brown eyes darted quickly to his sister, standing with her hands up and a frightened expression, and then right back to the unusual stranger blinking at him in confusion. 

"Sota," Kagome began nervously, "Don't freak out." She looked to Inuyasha hoping for some help but he just blinked back up at her and slurped up his noodles. "This..." she said irritably, "is Inuyasha." 

Sota ran up to them and looked the hanyou over with intense scrutiny. "You look just like that statue!" He said. 

"He... was the statue." Kagome muttered. 

"For real?!" His little brown eyes got five times bigger. Kagome was as good as forgotten while he stared up at the stranger. He was the single coolest being Sota had ever seen in his young life, from the bare feet to the fuzzy ears on top of his head. 

"Are those real?" Sota reached up to grab at the twitching appendages. 

"Back off!" Inuyasha barked as little hands shot up at his head. He jumped away from the child and snarled, ears pinned back against his head. 

"Sota!" Kagome chided her brother and grabbed his hands, "That's rude. Yes they're real, but you can't just grab them." 

"Oh, sorry." the boy smiled at Inuyasha, again leaving him confused. "What is he doing here?" 

"He's under a spell." Kagome explained, glancing at Inuyasha to come back forward, "He turns back to stone in the morning and has to stay in the garden to turn back at night." 

"Wow." Sota's eyes glowed in wonder. "How did you find that out?" 

"Miroku told me." She said. 

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms moodily. "Even if the idiot won't tell us anything else." 

"So Miroku knows too!" Sota ignored the sour attitude of his new object of admiration, "What about Mom and Grandpa?" 

"No, and Sota that's what we need to talk about." Kagome pulled him back facing her. "You can't tell them." 

"Why not?" He asked. 

"You know how Grandpa is, first thing he'd do would try to exorcize him or ship him away during the day." Kagome said, "And Mom may be understanding, but how do you think she'll react to a demon in the garden? I just think the less people who know about this, the better." 

"But maybe Grandpa could help, like break the spell or something." 

"I've already been working on that, me and Miroku both stay up trying to find any information. If Miroku doesn't know, I doubt Gramps will just spout out the answer." Kagome sighed, not noticing the surprised flash across the hanyou's face. 

"So that's why you're so tired and grouchy all the time," he smiled. 

"I am not grouchy." Kagome snarled at the kid. 

"So you want me to keep this secret..." An unwelcome gleam came into the boy's usually warm brown eyes, which now sent a shiver down her spine. It was a look that Kagome recognized all too well and that seldom meant any good for her nerves. 

* * *

"This is so cool!" People from the streets looked up at the mysterious, child-like voice ringing high over their heads.

Inuyasha was imagining the satisfying splat the boy would make and the relief it would be to his abused hearing, but only gritted his teeth. He landed absently on a passing city bus, much to Sota's delight. 

"How can you do that?" He beamed up at the demon, "It's so awesome!" 

Inuyasha looked down, confused, at the amazed child. "I'm a demon, kid." He said slowly. 

"So all demons can do that too?" 

"Well, not all, but a lot." He said. Shouldn't this be more frightening to a kid? The village children he'd once seen had always been terrified… 

"Wow," Sota said, "Man! Why couldn't I have been born a demon?" 

Inuyasha smiled for the first time since even he could remember. "You might not like it so much if you were. People would fear you and then hate you for just being alive." He said bitterly and forced away the quick smile. 

"Not all people." Sota shrugged. "I don't hate you, and neither does Kagome." 

"But you'd still turn me in and have me chucked from the garden when I was stone." He spat back. 

"No I wouldn't!" Sota protested hotly. "I just said that so you'd come hang out with me. I wouldn't really have done it. It's called blackmail, I do it to Kagome all the time." 

"You wouldn't have…" Inuyasha said hollowly. 

"Nope." Sota grinned. 

"You were just…" 

"Yep." Bigger grin. 

"Maybe I'll just let you drop." He huffed and leapt off the bus, now coming to a stop. He landed on a particularly brightly lit building with tall banners of strange titles. 

"So where are we now?" He asked and let the boy get off his back. 

"Oh this is just the movie theater." Sota said. "New shows come out here and people sit and watch. It'll be like a year before they get to TV." 

Inuyasha blinked confused, not admitting he had no clue what any of those things were. People would approach glass windows receive a small ticket, and then go inside the building together. There were couples there, each of them smiling, and many times the girl would be latched onto the male's arm. 

He noticed one boy, standing out front alone and holding a small bunch of flowers. "Why doesn't that guy go in like the others?" he pointed. 

Sota looked around for who he meant and saw the same boy; he looked kind of familiar. "He probably is just waiting for his date," he said simply. 

Again, the hanyou mused over the strange word, until a familiar scent entered his mind. He looked up quickly and saw Kagome rounding the corner. She was out of breath, like she had run the whole way. _'Why's she in such a rush?'_ he thought. Maybe she'd come to find them, but how did she know where they were? He was about to jump down and ask when she went straight to the boy with the flowers. 

"Sorry I'm late." He heard her say between breaths. 

Huh? Late? He leaned over the building's edge slightly to get a better look 

"It's all right." The boy smiled and handed her his bunch of flowers. 

"Thank you." He saw her cheeks flush with color and the boy held his arm out to her as he started leading them to the window. 

_'What the fuck is going on!?' _He though and leaned out even further to watch them. 

They got the ticket thing like all the other couples had and went inside the glass doors. They were quickly moving from his sight, but he tried to follow them as far as possible. Maybe if he leaned just a little further… 

"Inuyasha, watch out!" a shout came from behind and grabbed at his robes. It was enough to make him jump. 

He lost his footing and plummeted through the air towards the promisingly hard ground. He pulled his body around at the last moment so he wouldn't land flat on his back in time to see a large metal box rushing to meet him. 

The foul smell didn't register until it was too late. 

* * *

"Good night, Inuyasha!" the boy waved and snuck in the house through the back door.

The demon gave a growl in return. His arms were crossed over his chest, his teeth bared dangerously in the moonlight, and a murderous glint sparkled in his eyes. 

"Jeez you stink!" a disembodied voice spoke at his shoulder. 

"Fuck off." He said simply. 

"Did you go swimming in a dumpster or what?" Miroku faded into view and picked at a piece of rotting romaine in his hair. 

"What do you want?" Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his eyes to soothe the pain behind them. 

"Just finding out how your night went." The angel smiled as another sigh ripped from the hanyou's throat. "Not so well, huh?" 

"Weren't you there?" he shot back. 

"Well," Miroku shrugged, "Bits and pieces. You can be hard to keep up with when you feel like it." 

"What parts did you see?" the hanyou glared at him. 

"A swan dive that could win you the gold medal." Miroku laughed. "You know, you fall like a cat." 

"I do not!" he screamed and lunged at the angel with his claws. They passed through air as Miroku disappeared and reappeared on the garden wall. 

Their banter was interrupted as a signature call "I'm home!" rung out through the shrine, followed by the closing of a door. 

" I also saw you craning out to watch Lady Kagome and her young male escort." He prodded, "You didn't seem very pleased by the sight." 

"When am I ever happy to see that wench?" Inuyasha huffed. 

"Oh is that all it was?" Miroku said with his hand on his chin, looking very thoughtful. "I've seen quite a lot in my time and was certain I had learned to recognize jealousy when I saw it, but maybe this once in so many hundreds of years I made my first mistake…" 

A satisfied hanyou smiled as an unforeseen paving stone clunked the monk's head and sent him off the wall with a thud. 

With that, Inuyasha took off across the grounds to the high tree outside the house, and particularly outside Kagome's bedroom window. 

That wench was going to get it. He'd let her have it for using him as a cart horse for her insane relatives while she went out on a "date" with some idiot of a boy. He'd scream at her so much her ears would pound just like his had done from her brother's screeching. 

"Goodnight, mom!" Kagome called from the door, entered in her pajamas and flipped off the lights. 

She slipped in her comforting sheets and sunk happily into her pillow. The air was cool and her bed was warm. It only took moments to drift into a sweet slumber. She never noticed the pair of gold eyes peering in at her from the tree outside her window. They watched her breathe in and out in peace. 

"I'll yell at her tomorrow." He mumbled and jumped out of the tree. 

**Next Chapter:** Ruthless Game


End file.
